Romance: An Occupational Hazard
by Rochelleteentitan
Summary: In five different cities, with five different jobs, she falls in love with the same person five times. 5 AU one-shots featuring Ichigo/Orihime Now Complete! One Shot 5: The Principal's Office. They really shouldn't be dating, but the heart wants what it wants. They can just keep it a secret for now. What could go wrong?
1. 9000 Kilometers Away

**_Title: 9000 Kilometers Away_**

_Los Angeles, California_

"Hi. I have a 4:00 appointment."

The girl with dyed pink hair and copious face piercings glanced away from her magazine and up at him disinterestedly. "With who?" She asked

Ichigo had forgotten the name. He was notoriously bad with names. "I…don't remember. Inu? Something like that. One second. I think I wrote it down."

The new Los Angeles resident swung a backpack full of medical textbooks and notes off of his shoulder and onto the reception desk. He began to search through his bag for his appointment book, a gift from his father. His father had placed it in his carry on when he wasn't looking. In his father's loud scrawl, if scrawl could be loud, was a note. 'YOU'RE NOT READY TO LEAVE YOUR FATHER'S BOSOM! KEEP TRACK OF YOUR LIFE IN THIS UNTIL YOU GIVE UP AND COME HOME!

The girl signaled for him to stop by raising a hand. "Orihime Inoue?"

He would never get used to the English tradition of given name first. After twenty two years in Japan, the country's culture was fully engrained in him. However, he definitely did not miss the honorifics. He had rarely used them, despite the fact it made people think he was rude.

"Yeah, I think that's her." He replied, gathering his things and zipping his backpack back up.

"She sent a text. She's running late." The receptionist explained before allowing her attention to return to her magazine.

"Do you know how late?" He asked.

The girl looked at him irritably. "If you don't want to wait the door is right behind you."

'_And to think I was told people in Los Angeles were so nice they seem fake.' _"No, I'll wait. Thanks for being so helpful." He retorted sarcastically, heading to a seat in the corner.

He threw his backpack into a vacant seat beside him and looked around the tattoo shop.

It was fairly small. In the lobby where he was currently waiting, there were around 10 plastic lawn chairs assembled along the wall. A coffee table covered in graffiti sat in the center of the room. Tattoo design folders sat upon the coffee table, but he knew exactly what he wanted so he didn't bother to glance through them. Pictures of clients' tattoos adorned the walls. Ichigo had checked out the work online, and he recognized many of the photos from the tattoo shop's website. The receptionist's desk was placed in front of a doorway. There was no door in said doorway, instead beads partitioned the lobby from the main tattoo area.

Ichigo tried not to get nervous as he heard the distinct sound of a tattoo needle through the doorway. At least no one was screaming. Or crying. He hoped he wouldn't be the first.

A girl burst through the door. She was panting slightly as she made her way over to the receptionist, indicating that she must have run to the tattoo shop.

She had long auburn hair that reminded him of the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Although she would be considered petite in stature, she had a very curvy figure. She was dressed modestly in a simple dark green blouse and denim shorts worn over black tights, but he could still see that she was stacked.

The receptionist said something to the girl and pointed at him. She turned to look at him and he got his first good look at her face. His first thought was that she had pretty eyes. Of course, the rest of her face was just as attractive, but the eyes really jumped out at him. They were a slightly lighter brown than his own, and much more expressive than his. When she smiled at him, her eyes lit up as well.

"Kurosaki Ichigo? Nice to meet you!" She exclaimed in Japanese, extending her hand for a handshake.

He stood up to accept her handshake. His larger hand easily engulfed her's, and he made sure to shake gently. "Nice to meet you too. Man, it feels like forever since I've spoken in Japanese."

She smiled again. "Yeah, that tends to happen here. I do stream Laugh Hour every week though, and I like to talk to the host, but he obviously doesn't respond so this is really nice!"

He smirked and looked at her questioningly. Talking to the TV? Not exactly normal, but if she was facing as much culture shock as he was maybe it was excusable to be a little off.

"Ready to go back? Sorry I'm late. I came from my other job." She explained

He grabbed his backpack. "No problem. I wasn't waiting long."

She led him through the bead partition into the tattoo room. There were four chairs set up, and only one was occupied. A teenaged blonde girl was fighting back tears as a friend held her hand comfortingly. The blonde winced as the needle dug into her skin.

Her tattoo artist, an older Latino man, glanced up as the newcomers entered the room. "Hey Red!" He greeted cheerfully in English.

"Hello Jorge!" she responded just as gleefully. "We're right here." She informed Ichigo as she gestured to the nearest chair, switching back to Japanese effortlessly. Living in Los Angeles for the last month had improved his English markedly, but he definitely wasn't on the level where he could switch between the two languages effortlessly yet.

Ichigo sat on the chair, which reminded him of the patient chairs in his father's clinic, and shifted uncomfortably. This felt a lot more real now that he was here. In the chair. About to get his first tattoo.

Orihime must have noticed his unease. "You know, before we do anything permanent, I make a sketch and we put that on you like a temporary tattoo. And if you don't like it we can fix it." She explained.

He nodded. "Ok. That sounds good."

Orihime grabbed her sketch pad from a table beside the chair. "So, what are you getting?"

"A name in Hiragana characters. Masaki. On my right chest. I'm thinking right over my heart." He explained.

Orihime nodded as she began to sketch. She paused momentarily to ask a question. "My boss told me you asked for me by name. How did you find out about me?"

"I asked my friend Renji if he knew any Japanese tattoo artists in L.A. He gave me your name. He said you're good." She had gone back to sketching, and from what he could tell from the semi-formed sketch, Renji hadn't been lying.

Orihime's eyes lit up as she stopped sketching to look at him. "How is Abarai-kun? I really have not kept in touch like I should with everyone in Japan."

"He's good. He owns his own tattoo shop in Karakura. He worked really hard to get it so I'm excited for him."

Orihime finished her sketch and flipped the book so he could see the final product. "What do you think?"

She had gone with a simple script, and the Hiragana characters were clear. He had been worried about letting an American tattoo artist do the Hiragana characters. Although he could have written it out and just had them copy it, without actually being able to read the characters they could have easily made a small mistake that changed the meaning. As a native Japanese speaker, Orihime had not made any mistakes. "Looks good." He replied.

"Then let's see it on your skin." She began to cut the sketch out from the page.

Ichigo removed his white t-shirt, balling it up and tossing it into his backpack.

Orihime finished cutting out the sketch and gently placed it on his chest. Orihime carefully applied a wet cloth evenly over the special tattoo paper, allowing the ink to soak onto his skin.

"So Kurosaki-kun, what do you do?" He was about to answer, but she interrupted. "Let me guess!" She eyed him up and down and paused to ponder. At least, her eyes looked like they were pondering. He vaguely thought he would like to learn what other emotions and actions her eyes could express. "You're a personal trainer." She stated confidently.

He smirked apologetically, not wanting to tell her she was wrong. "No. I'm a student actually." He felt the need to add on to his answer. "I'm starting medical school in August. I want to be a surgeon. What made you guess personal trainer?"

She blushed and averted her eyes. "Umm…your aura. And your abs. Mostly your abs."

"My..aura?" He reiterated.

She nodded excitedly. "I am really good at reading auras!" She frowned. "Usually. I'm a little off my game today." She finally removed her hands from his chest, he kind of missed the contact, and peeled off the paper. She grabbed a hand mirror from the table. "What do you think?"

He looked into the small mirror. It looked good. Just what he wanted. "I like it." He responded.

She beamed. "I'm glad!" She picked up the tattoo gun. "Ready?"

He really didn't want to look like a wimp. Especially in front of a pretty girl. But he was not ready. He was nowhere near ready. She seemed to sense his distress. Maybe she was good at reading auras. Or maybe he was just scared shitless and it was obvious to everyone.

"Kurosaki-kun, I didn't mean to rush you. If you need some time, that's fine. And if you don't want to get it, that's fine too." She insisted.

He shook his head vehemently. "No, I'm getting it. I just need a minute."

She nodded. The two sat in a tense silence, the only noise the other tattoo gun working away on the blonde client.

Orihime was very uncomfortable with awkward silences. She was the type of person who filled silences with amusing anecdotes, whimsical stories, personal observations, or personal questions. She decided to go with the latter.

"So Kurosaki-kun, who is Masaki?" She questioned, watching his reaction carefully.

He had gotten lost in his thoughts and started slightly at the sound of her voice. He looked at her for several moments before looking away. "She's my mom. Was my mom."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It was a long time ago. 15 years next week."

"And what made you want to get the tattoo now?" She asked softly.

His expression softened. "I'm not going to be able to go to the cemetery on the anniversary. My family goes every year, rain or shine. But I just put three month's rent down and I paid for a flight out here last month. There's no way I could afford a round trip ticket back home right now." He explained.

"Your father won't help?" She asked.

"I'm sure he would. I don't want to ask. I'm 22. Out of the house. Out of the country! I'm trying to take care of myself." He responded.

She nodded. "Makes sense. I try to take care of myself too, but it is nice having an aunt who will help me if I really need it."

He sighed. "After this tattoo he definitely won't want to help me though. He has expressly forbidden it. I wanted to get one at 18, but he was helping pay for college so I had to listen to him." He smirked wryly. "But now that I'm out of the house the old man can't tell me what to do."

She giggled at the determined look on his face. "Did you tell him you were getting your mom's name? He might actually like it!"

Ichigo shook his head. "He's stuck in the 1800s. He says I'll never be able to get a job as a doctor with a tattoo. Not sure if he thought I was getting it on my forehead or something."

She giggled again and he smiled. He liked making her laugh.

He relaxed into the chair. "Ok Inoue. I think I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" She pressed.

"Well, now that you mention it, can I trust a tattoo artist with no tattoos?" He teased.

"I have two tattoos!" She exclaimed, placing up two fingers in a victory sign. "They're just tiny. And mostly hidden. I'm not really good at commitment and permanency, so I could never do super visible tattoos like Abarai-kun." She lifted her hair and turned her back to him, exposing a small blue-green dragonfly on the back of her neck. She allowed her hair to fall back into place before standing and facing him. She lifted her shirt to expose her right rib cage, just under where he assumed her bra would be. Not that he was necessarily thinking about her bra. Or her breasts. He mentally chastised himself and focused on the tattoo she was trying to show him. It was a small golden fairy.

He nodded approvingly. "Good. Then I can trust you. What are the stories behind those?"

She sat back on the stool and put gloves on her hands. "I got the fairy when I moved to London for college. I like fairies. They can fly so they are never tied down anywhere!"

"And the dragonfly?" He asked.

She smiled sadly. "That was my first tattoo. I was only 16, but they aren't really strict about that in Tokyo. It's in memory of my older brother Sora. He died when I was 12. We used to go down by the riverbank and catch dragonflies." She paused. "Well, Sora used to catch dragonflies. I was always too impatient and jittery. They wouldn't land on me. But Sora could just put his finger out and bam! Dragonfly. Every time I see a dragonfly I think of my brother. So I decided to get the tattoo."

"Why did you put it in a place you can't see?" Ichigo asked curiously.

She smiled again, but her eyes looked far away. "It's like Sora that way. I can't see him, but I know he is always there."

She had finished all the preparations. "Ready?" She questioned.

He nodded resolutely.

She turned on the tattoo gun and tenderly dug it into his skin.

He held his composure for the first few seconds. But fuck, it really hurt. He gritted his teeth, trying not to externally express his pain. But after a few more seconds he couldn't hold it in. "Shit, this is way worse than I thought it would be."

She didn't look up at him, focusing intently on the tattoo. "The chest always hurts. It is better if you have some fat, but you're all lean muscle. Sorry. Let me know if you need a break! But in my experience, it is better to power through."

"God damn it." He clenched his fist. "I just need something to distract me. Say something." He pleaded.

"Did you see Laugh Hour last week?" She asked.

He shook his head, before realizing she couldn't see the gesture. "No. I'll pick a topic. What's your other job you came from?"

She turned off the needle, wiping away the blood with a medical cloth. He glanced down. The first character was outlined. She raised her brown eyes to look at him after tossing the blood stained cloth into a trashcan. "I work at Cal Tech. In the jet propulsion lab." She must have noted the surprise on his face. She shrugged. "I want to be an astronaut. I'm starting my Phd program in Space Engineering there in September."

"Huh. Beautiful and smart." He replied. She blushed, averting her eyes back to the tattoo and turning the tattoo gun back on. He smirked. He usually wasn't flirty. He blamed the blood loss. And the fact that she was just so fun to rile up.

He winced when the needle returned to his skin, starting the outline of the second character. "Where do you go to school Kurosaki-kun?" She asked.

"UCLA. They offer a really great international scholarship for their medical school. I'm still going to need a job for living expenses, but tuition is taken care of."

"UCLA is a great school. Right by the beach! That's the major drawback of Cal Tech. It is very inland." She replied

"I doubt I'll be spending a lot of time at the beach. I'm going to have lots of studying to do." He winced again when she hit an especially tender part of his chest.

"Sorry." She apologized, noticing the wince. "You can study on the beach!"

"True." He admitted. She finished the outline of the second character and once again wiped away the blood.

He looked down at the semi-formed tattoo, glad it was almost over. This hurt more than getting punched by Tatsuki at karate.

"Now we just need to fill it in!" She chirped happily.

"That's gonna hurt, isn't it?" He asked reluctantly, not really wanting to know the answer.

She nodded apologetically. "It probably will. But it won't take long. Just hang in there Kurosaki-kun! You're doing super well. I cried during both my tattoos." She admitted.

He steeled himself when she raised the tattoo gun to his chest once more. He was glad when she started speaking again, it was a welcome distraction from the pain.

"How do you like Los Angeles so far?" She asked.

"It's definitely different. There are days when I feel pretty alone. I mean, I'm 9000 kilometers away from everyone I've ever known. But this is a good opportunity. I'll probably go home once I finish school though. I'm missing my family and friends more than I expected to." He answered. "What do you think of Los Angeles? How long have you been here?" He asked,

"Only three months. But I like it here! The weather is amazing! Especially compared to where I came from. I moved here from London after college. And before that I was attending a boarding school in Tokyo. After my brother died, my aunt financially took care of me, but she didn't really want to raise me. So before the high school boarding school in Tokyo, I went to a middle school boarding school in Osaka. So I'm pretty used to moving around. I actually don't like to stay in one place too long. It makes me antsy. I guess I just have a wandering soul."

"So you don't think you'll ever settle down?" He asked.

She would have shrugged, but she needed to keep the tattoo gun steady as she filled in the characters. "Not anytime soon. I have a lot of things I'd like to do. It'd be great if I found someone who would want to go with me, but not everyone likes to wander."

"My mom used to say not all that wander are lost." He replied

She smiled. "My brother used to say that too. All done!" She turned off the tattoo gun and wiped away the rest of the blood. "There's a full length mirror over there." She gestured to the corner of the room.

Ichigo hopped off the table and walked over to the mirror. It looked great. He had some concerns that he would regret this when all was said and done, but he definitely didn't. He felt it was a fitting tribute to his mother. He snapped a photo of the mirrored image of himself to send to Karin and Yuzu. They had both been supportive of the idea.

He returned to the chair to grab his stuff. Orihime was waiting expectantly. "What do you think?" She asked.

He smiled at her. "I love it. Thank you."

She positively glowed at the praise. "I'm glad you like it!"

He put his shirt back on. "Am I supposed to tip you? I find American tipping really confusing. I went on a date with this girl from my apartment complex and I didn't tip the waiter. Because I had no idea I was supposed to. She called me cheap. Doesn't want to go out with me again."

She laughed. "It is so confusing! If you were to try to tip someone in Japan, it would be insulting to them! In Europe they don't tip either. I don't accept tips. My Japanese ancestors would be proud."

He smiled, slipping his backpack back on. "If you won't let me tip you, how about you let me take you out to dinner? You can show me some of the good food places around here. I eat half my meals at In-N-Out, which can't be healthy."

"You definitely won't be able to keep your abs eating like that." She chastised playfully.

"Is that a yes?" He asked.

She blushed, but nodded. "I know a great ramen place nearby!"

She led the way out the tattoo shop, chatting animatedly all the way. She gripped his hand when she almost lost him in the crowded boardwalk. He glanced down at their intertwined hands as he halfway listened to what she was saying. Suddenly, 9000 kilometers away from the only place he had ever known, he felt at home.

….

…

..

.

A/N: The end! This is a one shot series that will be five chapters since it is based on the five lifetimes one love concept. Please review and let me know what you thought!


	2. Sweet Tooth

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or alerted the last one shot! Hope you like this one too!

**Title: **Sweet Tooth

_Tokyo, Japan_

…

..

.

"I'm heading out Ichigo-chan!" His receptionist sang, already half way out the door.

He grimaced. "I really wish you wouldn't call me Ichigo-chan, Rangiku."

He couldn't see her face, but he could imagine the smirk that was probably on it. "Just because you're a big fancy dentist now doesn't mean I've forgotten the days when I used to babysit you. Ta-ta!" She slammed the door behind her, something else he had asked her not to do.

The young dentist sighed. He should really fire her. He glanced at the clock. Almost 6:00 PM. She should be arriving soon.

…

..

.

Orihime gasped when she noticed the time. 5:30 already?! She was going to be late. "Riruka-chan, can you please close up? I'm running late."

Riruka nodded dismissively, never pausing in her consumption of her customary after work donut.

Orihime threw off her apron and rushed out of the small bakery, almost running into a pole in her haste. She narrowly managed to avoid that embarrassing gaffe, and hurried off to the nearest Tokyo metro stop.

The train's doors were already closing when she made it to the platform, but the 25 year old bakery owner managed to squeeze through just in time. She sighed with relief before slumping down into the nearest chair, exhausted from the run.

She was glad she had made the train. Kurosaki-san was already being so nice by letting her come get her dental filling after hours, she couldn't possibly make him wait. She blushed at the very thought of the handsome young, (27 years old, she had found out from his receptionist) dentist. Usually, Orihime hated going to the dentist. But since finding out about Dr. Kurosaki a year ago, trips to the dentist had become much more bearable. In fact, they were downright enjoyable.

At first, she had just wanted a cleaning. She was working at a bakery, trying to save up enough money to open her own, and money was tight. Kurosaki-san was so nice that he had offered her X-rays at a discounted rate once he heard she hadn't had new X-rays in 2 years. She smiled absentmindedly at the thought, unaware of the amused looks her dreamy sighs and lovesick eyes were drawing from fellow train passengers. The X-rays had revealed cavities. She had a bit of a sweet tooth, and working at a bakery was definitely not helping matters. He recommended against doing all the cavities at one time, so she had been coming in sporadically throughout the last year to get work done.

She frowned. She was down to her last two cavities. He would do both today. Then, she would just need to come in every 6 months for cleanings. She was going to miss him. And their conversations. Although it was somewhat hard to have a conversation when he was prodding around in her open mouth, she always managed.

The train slowed to a stop. "Shibuya Station" the conductor announced just as the train doors slid open. Orihime grabbed her purse and hopped off the train, setting off in the direction of Kurosaki-san's dental office.

…

..

.

The bell above the door chimed when she arrived. Ichigo had been sitting in Rangiku's seat, going through all the insurance claims she had yet to file irritably. He glanced up at the sound.

He smiled and her heart skipped a beat. "Hey Inoue."

She bowed slightly. "Thank you so much for agreeing to see me after hours Kurosaki-san! I know you must be very busy."

He placed the paperwork back where he had found it before standing. "No problem. I understand what it's like to own a business. Hard to take a day off to see the dentist when you just opened up your own bakery. How's it going?"

She beamed. "Really well! We are getting great Yelp reviews! And we're always busy, which is good."

"Good. Good. I'll have to stop by someday."

"My treat, of course!" She offered.

"And what kind of non-sweets do you have? As a dentist, I try to limit the sugar intake." He gestured toward an exam room, and the pair headed there while continuing their conversation.

She slid into the patient chair as Ichigo placed his hygienic mask and gloves on. "Well, I really love sweets. As you can tell from my cavities." She giggled. "But we do sell bread! If you come towards the end of the day and there's leftovers, you can take them all home!"

"Well, how could I refuse an offer like that?" He grabbed a needle full of local anesthesia. "Open wide."

…

..

.

"And…all done." He announced an hour later, laying his tools on the table and removing his gloves. He lifted her seat from the reclined position back to the seated position.

She gingerly moved her jaw. The right side of her mouth and face were very numb from the anesthesia. She ran her tongue over the new composite fillings. They felt a little rough, but she had learned from experience that after a few days they would start to feel normal. She smiled gratefully. "Thank you Kurosaki-san"

"No problem." He opened her patient file. "So, it looks like we're done. We got all the cavities, and put in the new sealants. So I guess next time I'll see you will be…in six months for your cleaning?"

Her smile faltered. Six months seemed really far away. "Yeah…six months."

He didn't seem to notice her dejection. He closed her file and looked at her. "And how does everything feel."

She ran her tongue over the fillings again. "A little rough, but that should fade in a few days" She answered.

He nodded. "It should. And if it doesn't just stop by and I can polish them, which will smooth them out."

He was starting to get up. "Wait!" She exclaimed hurriedly, blushing when he actually stopped and turned to look at her.

"Umm…do you have plans tonight Kurosaki-san?" He looked at her questioningly, but she continued on undeterred. "Because if you're not busy, maybe we could get a drink or-"

He interrupted. "I'm going to stop you there. Inoue, this has nothing to do with you." She steeled herself for the rejection. Oh well, at least she had tried. Tatsuki-chan was going to be so proud of her for taking some initiative. "I mean, I think you're beautiful." At that admission, she raised her gaze from the floor and looked at him. He was blushing slightly and avoiding eye contact with her. "Not that I'm superficial. I also really like your personality." She smiled as he blundered. This didn't sound like a rejection. "But, I make it a rule not to date patients. It's just unprofessional. So I'm going to have to decline but-"

This time she interrupted him. "I could go to another dentist." She suggested. He seemed to ponder the idea. She blushed and averted her eyes. "I kind of already have another dentist." She admitted.

"What?" He asked.

She balled her hands into her long skirt and stared at anything but him. "I always go to another dentist for a cleaning before I come here for work. Ever since the second visit." She admitted.

His confusion was written all over his face. "But, why?"

"Because I really, really, really like you. And I didn't want to come here with dirty teeth. That would be embarrassing. So I always go to Dr. Ishida for a cleaning first." She admitted.

Ishida was Ichigo's dental nemesis. They had gone to the same dental school, and Ishida had finished number one in the class while Ichigo was number two. They both practiced in Tokyo, so they competed for their livelihoods. Part of him really didn't want to lose a patient to Ishida, but a bigger part of him was telling him that the fact that she wanted to have a drink with him and not Ishida meant he had already won.

He mulled it over in silence for a few moments. "Kurosaki-san?" She asked delicately when he hadn't replied.

"I know Ishida. He's a good dentist. Really bad bedside manner, but a good dentist. So you're in good hands." He admitted.

"So, then I'm officially no longer your patient?" She asked.

He nodded. She smiled, feeling as if her heart might burst because it was so full. She leaned forward in her seat and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. She was going to pull away, but he gripped the back of her neck and deepened the kiss.

The right side of her lips was still numb, but she tried to keep up to the best of her abilities. After all, she had been dreaming about this for the last year. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, tangling around her's briefly. Then he trailed his tongue over her new fillings.

She pulled away, opening her eyes to look at him. "Did you just-"

"Sorry, was that weird?" He interrupted. "It's just not an opportunity that has ever presented itself before. The tongue is a lot more sensitive than any dental tool-"

She burst into laughter and he blushed. "How thorough Dr. Kurosaki."

He smiled sheepishly. "They do feel a little rough. Let me polish them real quick. Not as your dentist, but, you know, as your date." He proposed.

He placed the chair back into a reclining position. She opened her mouth as he approached with a toothbrush.

"You know, drinks might not be the best idea right now with half your face numb. You might drool them all over yourself." He said conversationally as he polished the tooth.

"Thhh whachu wnt to du?" She mumbled as he continued to polish her teeth.

"We could watch a movie. Your numbness should fade by the end. And then dinner." He suggested.

She nodded, not bothering to attempt speech again until he was done. She smiled, well smiled as much as was possible when one's mouth is open. She couldn't wait to call Tatsuki-chan after their date tonight! After being forced to listen to her drone on and on about him for the last year, her long distance best friend was sure to be ecstatic with the outcome.

And to think, if she hadn't eaten all those sweets she might have never met the handsome dentist! She was so grateful that she had never listened to anyone's advice about controlling her sweet tooth.

…

..

.

A/N: The end! Please let me know what you thought!


	3. Healing Hearts

_Okinawa, Japan _

_August 22nd, 1945_

The monitor beeps, indicating the soldier has flat lined. Ishida Ryuken sighs, stopping CPR and removing his medical mask. "Time of death, 11:43 AM."

Orihime dutifully writes the time of death in the patient's file, trying to hold in her tears. Ishida-san leaves the room, and most of the doctors and nurses follow suit. Orihime stays behind, and once everyone leaves she collapses onto the floor.

She pulls her knees up to her chest, wiping away her tears with the sleeve of her long sleeved nurses' uniform. Inoue Orihime is known to be emotional, which is why many were surprised when the young woman chose to become an army nurse. Her best friend Tatsuki had tried to talk her out of it. But Orihime wants to help people, to heal people. However, after watching countless soldiers die, Orihime is beginning to think Tatsuki might have been right.

Eventually, the young nurse manages to stop crying. She shakily gets to her feet, pulling a sheet over the dead soldier. She checks his file. "Rest in peace Ulquiorra-san." She whispers after learning his name from his file. She begins to wheel the corpse to the morgue.

Death is hard on all the hospital staff, but every soldier who dies hits Orihime especially hard. Because her boyfriend is an army soldier. And she hasn't heard from him in several months.

…

_.._

_._

_2 years ago, August 1__st__, 1943_

_Orihime wrote down the soldier's heart rate on the medical form. She smiled and saluted the young, but large, new recruit. "All done Sado-san! Please have the doctor sign the form. Then you can leave it with the head nurse and she'll make sure it gets to your commander." _

_Sado Yasutora nodded. Orihime felt he was probably a man of few words since he had barely spoken to her throughout the medical screening. He hopped off the exam table, putting his regulation shoes and army shirt back on. Orihime averted her eyes, still not completely comfortable with being around shirtless soldiers. _

_She had just graduated high school in the midst of WWII. Immediately upon graduation, the 17 year old had signed up to be an army nurse. Because she was new, the last few months had been used for nurse schooling and training. Because of the war effort and the need for nurses, the training had to be accelerated. She had just started seeing actual patients last week. _

"_Can you please send in the next soldier Sado-san?"_

_Once again, his only response was a nod._

_Orihime was changing the paper on the exam table when the next soldier entered the room. She turned around to greet her new patient. _

_And promptly forgot how to speak. Orihime had never really believed in love at first sight, but now looking at this young soldier with shockingly bright hair she was beginning to think differently. _

_She watched as his eye quickly scanned her from head to toe, lingering on her breasts for a second too long. He quickly seemed to catch himself and returned his gaze to her face with a slight blush. _

_He stuck out his hand for a handshake. "Hi, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."_

_Instead of grasping his hand, she saluted. "Inoue Orihime!"_

…

_.. _

_._

Present

The morgue in the army hospital always gives Orihime the creeps. She knows it is ridiculous, but she always harbors the fear that one of the dead soldiers will suddenly sit up. After transferring Ulquiorra's body from a gurney to a mortuary rack, she leaves as quickly as possible. So quickly that she accidentally runs into fellow nurse Hanatarō Yamada, who is transporting medical supplies between operating rooms. The supplies spills from the cart onto the linoleum floor.

"I'm so sorry Hanatarō-kun!" Orihime apologizes, dropping to the floor to pick up the supplies.

Hanatarō joins her on the floor, placing things back on the cart. "It's okay Inoue-san. I don't like being in the morgue either." He flashes her a sympathetic smile.

"Have there been any letters today Hanatarō?" Orihime asks. Hanatarō spends a lot of time on administrative duties, since most of the soldiers generally preferred female nurses.

He shakes his head no, apologetically. "Still no word?" He asks.

"The war is over. If he was alive, I would have heard by now, ne?" She asks in a whisper, her eyes welling up with tears.

"The war has only been over for a week. Nothing has even been formally signed yet. You have to have faith Inoue-san." Hanatarō tries to encourage.

Orihime places the last roll of bandages back on the cart. "I'll try." She promises, before heading off to see her next patient.

_21 months ago, November 10__th__, 1943_

_Ichigo sat on a floor mat at Orihime's low table, waiting patiently for his date to the army ball. _

_He pulled uncomfortably at his tie. He hated formal events like this. If his commander, Hisagi, wasn't insistent that the whole platoon attend this ball he wouldn't be going. At least Orihime seemed happy about it. Although they had only met three months ago, Ichigo had never been so in love in his 19 years on Earth. She was everything he had ever wanted. Kinda sucked that he was about to be deployed. He hadn't told her yet, since he didn't want to ruin what they had. He didn't want her thinking about the end, when he was enjoying the middle so much. _

_She entered the living room in a strapless silver gown, beaded so it sparkled. Her hair, which was usually up in a bun due to standard nursing protocol, cascaded down her back in waves. She had applied deep red lipstick, contrasting to her usual natural look._

_He stood, appreciating the beauty before him. She blushed at his appreciative whistle. "Wow. You're beautiful."_

"_You look quite handsome yourself Ichigo-kun." She complimented shyly. _

"_Nowhere near as good as you. All the guys are going to be extremely jealous. Especially Keigo."_

_He offered her his arm. "Shall we go?"_

_She gladly accepted the offered appendage, placing her dainty hand on his forearm. "Let's."_

_.._

_._

_Several hours later, the ball was drawing to a close. A lot of the soldiers had left, leaving very few couples on the floor for the last slow song. _

_Orihime rested her head on Ichigo's chest, swaying softly to the music of the ragtime band._

_Ichigo kissed the top of her head, briefly inhaling the smell of her cinnamon shampoo. "I need to tell you something." _

_She looked up into his amber eyes. "You can tell me anything."_

_Ichigo took a deep breathe. "I got my orders."_

_For Orihime, the band faded out. She forgot about everyone else around them. Her world was falling apart. She had known this would happen. He was a soldier. Japan was in the middle of a war. But she had told herself not to think about it. To just live in the moment. Well, it looked like their moment was over. _

_She gulped, trying to find her voice. "What are they?" She managed to choke out. _

"_I have to report to the front line in three months."_

…

_.._

_._

Present

"Good afternoon Grimmjow-san" Orihime chirps happily as she enters the room.

Grimmjow glares at her. "What's so good about it?" He gripes.

Grimmjow had lost an arm when a bomb exploded on the battlefield. He has been in the hospital physically recuperating for the last month, but emotionally he could not get over his loss.

"Kami let you wake up another day. That's something to be happy about." Orihime points out.

He huffs. "I'd rather be dead than a cripple."

Orihime sighs. "Grimmjow-san, a lot of people have died. A lot of people will continue to die because of the radiation from the atomic bombs. Innocent people. Children. You're alive. And you should be grateful."

Grimmjow doesn't bother to reply, instead turning to look out the window. Orihime changes his bandages in silence before leaving his lunch on his bedside tray and then leaving the room.

…

..

.

_18 months ago_

_February 12__th__, 1944_

"_I should go. Thanks for dinner Orihime. I'll write to you, okay?" Although Ichigo was trying to be strong, he could feel his mask crumbling. If he didn't leave now, he might let the tears he had been holding in all night escape. And that was the last thing he wanted her to see. _

_He turned to the door, about to open it, when Orihime was suddenly blocking his path, keeping the door shut by pressing her back against it. "Wait!" She raised herself up on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him down to her level, and kissed him passionately. _

_Usually, she was very timid. Before him, she had no experience with the opposite sex. He was usually the dominant one, but right now she was being very aggressive. _

_He was happy to let her take the lead, and felt himself getting lost in everything that was distinctly her. He was going to miss this. He was going to miss her. _

_Eventually, the two broke for air. She kissed his jaw, and then his neck. He tightened his grip on her hips, kissing the top of her head as she continued to administer affection on his neck. It took him a moment to remove himself from the haze she always caused in his mind and notice she was working on unbuckling his pants. _

_He firmly gripped her shoulders, pushing her far enough away so he could stop himself from losing control. His eyes automatically went to her lips, wet and slightly swollen from their previous activities. He shook his head and raised his gaze to her eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked, his voice deep and strained. _

_She blushed, averting her gaze. He was going to make her say it. She steeled her resolve and looked right into his eyes. "I want you to make love to me."_

_He swallowed. She watched his Adam's apple bob. An uncomfortable silence ensued. He let go of her shoulders and stood to his full height, taking a step away from her. "No." He responded. _

"_Why?" She asked, completely hurt by his rejection. _

"_Because I'm leaving tomorrow." He replied. _

"_I know that. And I love you. And I want to show you that before you leave." She insisted. _

"_I know you love me. And I love you. And we don't have to have sex to prove that."_

"_But we could!" She countered. _

_He ran a hand through his tousled bright orange hair. He hesitated for a moment, but eventually wrapped her up in his strong arms. She wanted to resist, but instead she took comfort in his embrace. He rested his head on top of her's. "But we won't. Because we're going to do this the right way."_

_She wanted to argue, but he continued before she had the chance. "I'm going to leave. And I'll fight. And I'll save up some money. And when I come home, I'm going to buy you a house." He kissed her forehead. "And a ring."_

_She turned teary brown eyes up to him. He smiled sadly, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "And then I'll marry you. And only after that, will I make love to you." He finished. _

_Her hands were balled into his white button up shirt, and her hands clenched tighter as she asked her question. "But what if you don't come home?"_

"_I will."_

"_But what if you __**don't**__?" She insisted. _

_He sighed. "If I die, I want you to find someone else who loves you just as much as I do. And I want you to get married, and have babies, and everything that you want. And that will be a lot easier for you if you're still a virgin."_

"_That's stupid." She insisted. _

"_It's the world we live in." He explained. He was right. 1940s Japan was very traditional. Good girls saved themselves for marriage, and those that didn't would have a very hard time getting married. _

"_I don't want to marry anyone besides you." She admitted. _

"_Good to know. Because I intend to come home to you Orihime." He sealed his promise with a kiss._

_He stayed the night, but they didn't have sex. When she woke up the next morning, he was already gone. He had left a note with only three words: I love you. _

…

_.._

_._

Present

Orihime likes to eat her lunch outside. The hospital was too sterile. It was full of death. The fresh air was nice. It reminds her of better days. Days spent catching dragonflies near the river with her now deceased older brother, or high school days spent eating lunch with Tatsuki and her friends on the roof, or when she and Ichigo used to lie in the park for hours watching clouds.

The pretty nurse sighs, squeezing her eyes shut. Why hasn't he written in so many months? She understands that the military campaign had intensified in the last months of the war effort, but did he really not have time to send a single letter?

She really feels the most likely answer is that he is dead. Soldiers die all the time. She squeezes her eyes shut tighter, fighting the tears she can feel coming on. No. She tells herself. She has to have faith.

She composes herself and stands from the bench she had previously inhabited, throwing most of her lunch away. After treating some of the atomic bomb victims who have been transferred to the Osaka Army Hospital, she doesn't have much of an appetite.

…

..

.

_12 months ago, August 25, 1944_

_Unohana went through some of the letters that had just arrived at the hospital. The senior nurse did not enjoy the administrative part of her job, but she was good at it. It had been her idea to compose a list of soldiers' loved ones that worked at the hospital and have the letters sent there instead of to several different homes. It just made it easier on the army, especially since the soldiers moved so much. _

_Rangiku and Orihime rounded the corner, arm in arm. The two redheads were very close, Rangiku acting as a surrogate big sister of sorts for the younger girl. The two approached the head nurse's station. _

"_Unohana, anything for us?" Rangiku asked, resting her abundant breasts on the desk and leaning over to see the letters. _

_Unohana attempted to swat her away. "How many times do I need to tell you to button every button on your uniform Matsumoto-san?" _

_Rangiku pouted. "But I'm a sexy nurse!"_

_Unohana rolled her eyes, handing over the letters addressed to the two nurses._

_Orihime eagerly opened her letter. _

_July 17__th__, 1944_

_Orihime, _

_Thanks for wishing me a happy birthday. It was a pretty uneventful day, which is always nice when you're in the middle of a war. Can't believe I'm 20. I'm officially no longer a teenager. Thanks for the new photos too. I especially like the bathing suit ones. You look like an American pin up model! _

_By the time you get this, it will probably almost be your birthday. Happy early (or late, depending on when the army decides to send our mail) birthday! The big 19. I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. We're also missing our one year anniversary. _

_If I was in Osaka, I would have taken you out for dinner and a movie. And maybe dancing. And I probably would have proposed too. But yet, here I am in the middle of the South Pacific. _

_I really miss you. It's great to get your letters, but I miss the sound of your voice. Man, you don't appreciate how great face to face conversations are until you spend 6 months deployed away from everyone you love._

_I wrote home and told my sisters all about you. Yuzu sent me a letter inviting you to join them in Karakura for Tanabata. I think she forgot how long the delay between letters is when you're dealing with the military. But it's an open invitation, so maybe you can go next year. Maybe this war will be over by then and we can go together. _

_I have to go. Stay safe. _

_Love, Ichigo. _

_Orihime carefully folded the letter and placed it in her front pocket. She always kept Ichigo's letters, and when she was feeling lonely she would re-read them all. It wasn't as good as a face to face conversation, but they were all she had. _

_Rangiku suddenly let out a choking noise and collapsed onto the floor. _

_Orihime immediately dropped down to her friend, who was now crying hysterically. "Rangiku, what's wrong?"_

_Rangiku didn't, or couldn't, answer. Orihime glanced at the letter, which was still clutched in her friend's hand. _

_Dear Matsumoto-san, _

_We are sorry to inform you that Gin Ichimaru was killed in battle on…._

_..._

_.._

_._

Present

"Inoue-san."

Orihime finishes changing the sheet on the hospital bed before turning to Ishida Uryuu, the son of the hospital owner.

"Yes, Ishida-san?"

"The soldier that died today, Ulquiorra-san, can you go change the sheets on his bed? And remove any personal effects. We are taking in more atomic bomb victims and we're all out of beds." He informed her matter-of-factly.

"Of course Ishida-san." She nods at him before leaving to complete her task.

Removing the personal effects is easy, because there are hardly any. There is only one photo on his nightstand, a group shot of what Orihime assumes is his squadron. Orihime recognizes Grimmjow in the photo. She hadn't known they knew each other. She briefly wonders whether they were close.

Sometimes, loved ones came to the hospital to visit wounded soldiers. No one had ever visited Ulquiorra-san. He had been brought to the hospital in a coma. He never woke up. She ponders how the photo had even wound up in the room. Maybe it was on his person when he was injured and one of the nurses placed it on the table.

Orihime clutches the photo to her chest. No one should die alone. Poor Ulquiorra-san. She decides to bring the photo to Grimmjow. Maybe it will cheer him up.

…

_.._

_._

_6 months ago_

_.._

_February 6__th__, 1945 _

_Dear Ichigo-kun, _

_ Remember Shiba Kaien? I wrote about him in my last letter. You guys look alike, maybe you are distant cousins? He reminds me of you. Well, he reminded me of you. He passed away today. He was scheduled for surgery to amputate his leg because it was infected. He bled out. I cried. Ishida-san, the father, not the son, told me I needed to not get so involved with my patients. _

_How can I not be involved? These soldiers are people. With families and friends who love them. And they fought for this country and they come home missing arms and legs and maybe even parts of their souls. And everyday people are dying. _

_I don't know if I still believe in this war Ichigo-kun. I don't understand what we're fighting for. What could possibly make this carnage worth it? Remember when we went to the movies and before the show they played the war ads? To encourage people to join? It's all propaganda. Because it's not really an option to not join. They expect all men capable of fighting to fight. _

_If you had tried to stay at home, which you never would have done anyway because that's not who you are, it would have been shameful for your family. But what is so shameful about peace?_

_I'm sorry this letter is so gloomy. I should try to be happy. I should be grateful that I'm alive and you're alive and that Tatsuki-chan won her big karate competition. I'm sending this along with a care package. I hope nothing spoils or gets smashed._

_I can't wait for you to come home Ichigo-kun. I miss you every day. I love you very much. Please write back soon and be careful out there. _

_With all my love, Orihime. _

…

..

.

_3 months ago _

_May 4th, 1945_

_Orihime, _

_I'm sorry to hear about Kaien. From everything you said, he seemed like a nice guy. Thank you for the care package. And no, nothing got smashed. Although the red bean paste did spoil. _

_I understand exactly what you mean about the war. I look around at my fellow soldiers, on both sides, and everyone is so young. I've gotten used to watching people die. It barely bothers me anymore. When I think about how apathetic I am to it, it makes me sick. _

_We lost another guy yesterday. His name was Kira. He volunteered to be a kamikaze pilot. We're losing the war, you know. That's why they are looking for volunteers for suicide missions. _

_Sometimes, I think it would be easier to die. Then it could all be over. No more war. No more death, just nothing. Maybe some kind of afterlife. Whatever comes after this life, it has to be better than this. _

_But then I think about you and I want to live. _

_I love you. _

_-Ichigo_

…

..

.

_2 months ago, June 25, 1945_

_She writes him back when she receives the letter in June, but she never gets another letter in response. _

_She doesn't want to think the worse, but part of her can't help it._

…

..

.

Present

After working a ten hour shift, 4:00 PM finally comes around and Orihime is free to go home for the day.

She is exhausted. Both physically and mentally exhausted. She wants to take a warm bath. Maybe curl up in bed with a good book. She needs to refresh, because tomorrow will be another long day at the hospital. People will die, but others may live. And as a nurse, she has a role in who lives and who dies. It is a responsibility she takes very seriously.

She hopes that if Ichigo is injured somewhere, in some hospital in another city or country, that there is a nurse who will look out for him.

She waves goodbye to her friend and fellow nurse Chizuru before she pushes through the double doors towards the hospital entrance. She is searching through her purse for her money, and she almost doesn't notice the man sitting in the lobby, a bouquet of roses in his lap.

But out of the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of bright orange hair.

She almost can't believe her eyes. She briefly considers the fact that she is dreaming. But if this was a dream, he wouldn't be injured. His right leg is in a cast, a bad break, she notes clinically, judging by the size of the cast. Crutches lie against the arm rest of his chair. It was so like him to refuse a wheelchair. His left arm is in a sling, probably a sprain. Her eyes go up to his head. He has bandages wrapped around his forehead, likely just to stem some minor bleeding. He's alive. He's okay.

He struggles to his feet, using the chair as leverage and propping a crutch under his right arm so he can remain upright. She runs into his arms.

She is probably squeezing him too tight, he likely has rib injuries judging by the binding she can feel through his army uniform. But he squeezes her back, and she can't find it in herself to let up. She's crying. Ugly crying. Snot running from her nose and onto his shirt. He doesn't seem to mind though. And she can't be sure, but she thinks he is crying too.

She is unsure how long they stand there, her crying into his shirt, but eventually he speaks.

"I got you something." He says, as if he has just returned from vacation with souvenirs.

He reaches into his pocket with his good hand, and pulls out a tiny satin box.

"I'd get down on one knee, but with my leg that might be a disaster." He opens the box, and inside is a simply diamond ring. Despite its modesty, to Orihime it is perfect.

"Orihime, will you marry me?" He asks, sounding as if he half expects her to say no. Idiot.

She doesn't answer verbally. She wraps an arm around his neck, pulling him down so she can kiss him senseless. Although they have been apart for 18 months, when their lips connect all that time melts away. They immediately fall back into a rhythm, their rhythm.

She pulls away when she has had enough, for now. He's alive, and they have all the time in the world to love one another. "Yes." She answers.

He smiles, and even though he is 18 months older than when she last saw him, his smile is still boyish. He runs his good hand through her hair. It's even longer than when he left, now reaching all the way down her back.

"I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." He declares, removing his hand from her hair and slipping the ring onto her wedding finger.

She admires the way the diamond catches the fading sunlight in the lobby. She kisses his jaw, wraps her arms back around his neck. "The rest of our lives with you in my eye sight at all times." She teases. "Why didn't you write back to me? I worried."

"I'm sorry. I was on a boat. They stopped delivering our mail." He explains.

"I'm just so glad you're okay." She admits.

The War, the deployment, it could have torn them apart. But instead, it made them stronger than ever.

…

..

.

A/N: Ughh that last line. Maybe I'll think of something good eventually and change it. Haha. Thank you to everyone who favorited, alerted and reviewed last chapter! Please review so I know what you thought!


	4. The Hot Babysitter: Part 1

A/N: Me again! Thank you to all my reviewers, favers, and alerters. I appreciate you!

**Title**: The Hot Babysitter

_Tanegashima, Japan_

…

_.._

_._

Ichigo is surprised to see the lights on when he gets back to his family's summer vacation home. He frowns. Odd. His dad and sisters should have left hours ago for the medical conference.

His father was invited to speak at a panel. He was bringing the twins, since they had an interest in going into medicine. Ichigo doesn't want to go into the family business. He's never imagined himself running his father's clinic. He wants to study English. His Dad thinks this is impractical, but he has never cared much about what his Dad thinks.

He adjusts the surfboard he is carrying as he searches through his board shorts for his keys. Finding them, he opens the door.

"Hello?" He calls out.

He hears a crash. A feminine voice mumbles "Owwie."

His brows furrow. Who is in his house? His question is answered when she appears in the opening between the kitchen and the living room. She looks just as surprised to see him as he is to see her. But after a beat, she smiles at him. He is momentarily blinded by her brightness.

She's definitely pretty. Long wavy auburn hair, big brown doe eyes, fairly tan like most of the locals in this beach town, and curves in all the right places. She's wearing a pretty yellow sundress, and she's shoeless so he can see her toenails are painted pink and orange. She looks to be around his age. She's so pretty that he almost forgets that she shouldn't be in his house. Almost.

His eyes narrow. "Who are you?" He asks.

"Oh of course! Sorry. I should have introduced myself. I'm Inoue Orihime. And you're Kurosaki-kun?"

His eyes narrow more. "How do you know my name?"

"Your dad told me! He hired me." She explains.

The more she talks, the more confused he is. "Hired you for what?

She blushes. "Well, he told me that you needed a … babysitter."

…

..

.

Ichigo slams the door to his room. He seethes as he angrily dials his father's number on his iPhone. It rings once, twice, thrice before his father answers.

"Ichigo! Miss us already? We just got to Tokyo. Say hi to your brother girls!"

Ichigo is in no mood for his father's antics. "Why did you get me a babysitter?"

"I got you a hot babysitter! I interviewed several people. Isn't Orihime-chan pretty?"

He won't give his father the satisfaction of an affirmative response. "What's the matter with you? I'm 16! I don't need a babysitter. Plus, she's younger than me!"

"Only by a few months. Orihime-chan will be 16 in September."

Ichigo's teeth grind. "I don't need a babysitter. This is ridiculous. Why did you tell her I was 8?"

"I didn't tell her you were 8. I just showed her pictures from when you were 8. I never said they were recent photos."

His father is the most infuriating person he knows. He has yet to answer the question of why he has hired a 15 year old babysitter for his 16 year old son. "Geez. I can't imagine why she would have assumed that. I'm going to ask nicely one more time Dad. Why did you hire a babysitter?"

"I didn't really hire her as a babysitter. Think of her more as a nanny. Or a housekeeper. She cooks and clean! We're going to be gone for two whole weeks. You would have starved!"

"I have my license! I could have just gone out to eat. Bought some microwavable dinners from the grocery store. Ordered in!" The scowling teenager reasons.

"You just got you license. There are tsunami warnings for the next two weeks. I don't want you driving unless it's an emergency, got it?" His father is using his authoritative tone. If possible, this makes his son even more enraged.

"Just tell her she can leave."

"But I'm paying her generously! You don't get it, since you get to sponge off me, but some people like Orihime-chan have bills."

"You should still pay her. For wasting her time."

"She's not leaving. I need her to keep an eye on you. What if you fell down the stairs and cracked your head open? It would take two weeks for us to find your dead body! But thanks to my quick thinking, Orihime-chan will be there to call the ambulance."

Ichigo scoffed, remembering her earlier crash. "She's the one who's more likely to fall down the stairs."

"I don't know why you're so resistant to spending some quality time with a cute girl for two weeks."

"So you bought me a two week rent-a-girlfriend?!"

Isshin laughs, even though in Ichigo's opinion none of this is funny. "I've got to go. Your sisters are ready to head out for dinner. Have fun Ichigo!" Ichigo wants to argue more, but his dad has already hung up.

He pockets his phone. Great. So much for some well-deserved alone time.

…

..

.

Day 1:

Isshin was right about the tsunami warnings. When Ichigo wakes up the next morning, it is pouring outside. From his window, he can see that the ocean level has already risen.

Isshin was not right about Orihime's ability to cook. She makes him pancakes, but she puts orange juice in them instead of milk. She says it gives them an extra 'pow!' which she demonstrates with a wayward fist that almost hits him. She seems to enjoy them, but he thinks they are disgusting. He doesn't tell her that though, because she looks so hopeful when she hands him the fork. He forces himself to eat all that's on his plate.

He regrets it that night when he has extreme indigestion.

…

..

.

Night 2:

He meets Nel.

Apparently, Inoue has a very lucrative babysitting business. Which she'll be running out of his house for the next two weeks. She asked his dad for permission, and Isshin was fine with it. She asks Ichigo if it bothers him, and he says no. How bad can it be?

The fact that Nel's parents were willing to drive through the flooded streets in the middle of a torrential downpour to drop off their kid for a few hours on a Saturday night should have warned him.

If he were them, he would be willing to drive through a tornado to pawn the kid off on someone else. She talks, the whole time. And she has this lisp, which is kinda cute, but also makes her really hard to understand. She really likes him, which is odd. Generally, children hate him. Well, actually, he doesn't spend a lot of time interacting with children. His boss's kid definitely hates him, but Unagiya has spoiled him rotten so Ichigo doesn't take it personally.

Nel is in the middle of recounting her entire life story to him when her parents finally come back. "Bye Itsygo! Seeth you soon!" She chimes as she leaves.

Orihime smiles at him. "You're so good with her!"

He doesn't think so. He mostly just sat there and listened. Orihime insists on giving him half the money Nel's parents paid. He refuses, insisting she keep it. After all, she has told him that she lives alone and needs the babysitting money to pay bills.

She pouts, but he doesn't relent.

…

When he goes to bed later that night, he sees she has left the money on his dresser.

…

..

.

Night 3:

Ichigo is a very light sleeper. Almost anything can wake him up, including the current pattering of raindrops on his window. It has been raining pretty much nonstop for the last 3 days. He is over it. What's the point of a summer beach house when you can't go to the beach?

He is having trouble falling back asleep, so he decides to go get a glass of water from the kitchen.

He carefully creeps down the stairs, not turning on the hallway light in order to avoid waking Orihime, who is sleeping on the living room couch.

He has told her every night that she is free to sleep in Isshin's bed, or one of his sister's beds. All three beds must be more comfortable than sleeping on the couch. She insists that she doesn't know his family very well, and she feels it would be invasive for her to sleep in their beds.

He then offered her his bed, informing her he can sleep in his father's room. She blushed, she does that a lot around him, and politely declines, insisting that she likes the couch.

The final stair squeaks as he makes it to the living room and he winces, but she remains asleep, curled up in a ball with a blanket haphazardly thrown over her. He makes it to the kitchen, pours himself a glass of water, and sits on the counter as he guzzles it down.

The rain intensifies, and suddenly there is a loud crash of thunder. A blinding white flash of lightning follows, and then a second boom of thunder.

He drops his glass and it breaks on the floor when he hears her scream. He rushes to the living room, narrowly avoiding stepping on the broken shards, and hurries to the couch. She's sweating and struggling for breath, the blanket clutched to her chest as if she needs something to hold onto.

He sits on the couch beside her and tries to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but instead she hugs him tightly, crying into his chest. He freezes, unsure of what to do. Crying women make him very uncomfortable. Eventually, he decides to do what he would do if Yuzu were crying. He returns her hug and rubs her back comfortingly. Another flash of lightning and another loud clap of thunder has her trembling is his arms, her crying intensifying.

"What's wrong?" He asks, thinking that talking it out might help her.

"I'm sorry. I'm crying all over your t shirt." She mumbles, her cries subsiding somewhat.

He continues to rub her back. "Don't worry about it. Are you ok?"

She sighs, keeping her face in his chest. "It's silly."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

"I'm…afraid of thunderstorms." She answers.

He stops rubbing her back, now that she and the storm have both calmed down somewhat. "Why?"

"My brother died in a car crash 3 years ago. It was raining and the ocean level had risen a lot. So much that it was spilling onto the highway. He hydroplaned, crashed into a guard rail. I was in the car too, in the passenger seat. But it was the driver's side, onii-chan's side, that hit the guardrail." She choked up for a moment, fisting her hands into his t-shirt. He tightened his grip on her, ensuring her that he was there. "I…I couldn't get out of the car. The door was jammed in. And onii-chan was bleeding and he needed help and I couldn't help him. I screamed but no one was out because of the storm. No one knew we were there and onii-chan's cell phone was dead and he was _dying _Kurosaki-kun. I had to watch him die."

"God Inoue. I'm so sorry."

"No one found us until the next morning. I stayed up all night. I watched him die. And then I sat there with his dead body. And there was lighting and thunder and every time there is a storm I remember what Onii-chan looked like when the light left his eyes and all the blood-"

"Shh." Ichigo tried to soothe, rubbing her back comfortingly once more. Another boom of thunder and she let out a soft sob. "Would it make you feel any better if I stayed down her with you?" She looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "I'm not a big fan of rain either. It was raining when my mother was murdered. It could be good for both of us." He suggested.

"Your mother was murdered?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'd rather not talk about it though. But I know how you feel. And it's better to not deal with these feelings alone."

She nodded her agreement. He lied down on the couch. It was kind of a tight squeeze, but she was practically glued to his side anyway so they managed. The lightning and thunder continued for several more hours, but the two slept peacefully, finding solace in the fact that they weren't alone.

…

..

.

Day 4:

The couch was more comfortable than Ichigo expected it to be. Not as comfortable as his bed, but definitely not bad. After all, he had slept through the night. He probably would have still been sleeping, were it not for the tiny finger poking his face.

He reluctantly opens his eyes. A girl with pink hair grins at him. "Ichi is awake big boobies!" She exclaims gleefully.

Orihime enters his line of vision. She is carrying a baby. "I thought I asked you not to call me that Yachiru-chan. I also asked you not to wake up Kurosaki-kun. Do you need a time out?"

"Nowth you made her mad Yathiru!" Nel lisps. "But now that Itsygo ith awake he can play with uth!"

He closes his eyes again. Oh yeah, it's Monday. The start of Inoue's daycare. After changing out of his pajamas and eating cereal, he rejoins the festivities in the living room. In total, there are 6 kids. Nel, Yachiru, a baby boy named Yuu, two pre-teens named Yukio and Jinta, and a pre-teen girl named Ururu. Yukio mostly keeps to himself, playing video games on his handheld all day, and Ururu is quiet and helpful, but the rest are a lot of work.

"Ughh!" Jinta complains hours later. "I am so tired of being inside!"

"Well, it's raining Jinta-kun, so we're all staying inside." Orihime explains. "Maybe some food will cheer you up! What does everyone want for lunch?"

"Something that you're not cooking." Jinta murmurs.

Orihime pouts. "Jinta-kun is so mean. I can make normal food! If you want something boring that's up to you." Ichigo notes that for future reference. He would definitely prefer boring to the 'surprise stew' of unknown ingredients she had made him for dinner the night before.

"Do you mind holding the baby while I make lunch, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Oh. Well, I've never held a baby before. And kids don't like me." Ichigo explains.

"I like you Itsygo!" Nel chimes.

"I like orange head too!" Yachiru adds.

Orihime smiles at him. "It's easy. Here, just put out your arms,"

He does as instructed, and she places Yuu in his arms. "I'll be back in a jiffy!" She says merrily before skipping off to the kitchen.

He looks down into the baby's big brown eyes. "Umm, hi." He says uncomfortably.

From what he can remember from when his sisters were born, babies like to be rocked, so he gently bounces the baby. Yuu promptly throws up on his shirt. Great. He is off to a great start. He gently places Yuu in his playpen, on his stomach in case he throws up again, and goes off to find a new shirt.

…

..

.

Night 4:

Ichigo collapses onto the couch when Yukio's parents finally pick him up and all the kids are gone.

Orihime finishes tidying up the living room, leaving it looking as if it hasn't been filled with destructive children for the last ten hours. She smiles at him. "Thank you for all your help Kurosaki-kun! You're a natural!" When she gives him half of the money, this time he doesn't try to refuse. He feels he has earned it.

"What do you want for dinner?" She calls over her shoulder as she heads to the kitchen.

"Something boring." He replies.

"Et tu Kurosaki-kun?" She jokes.

He smirks.

She makes lasagna. She puts soy sauce and sushi in her half, but leaves his normal. It is the best meal he has had in weeks.

They change into pajamas and watch Laugh Hour together on the couch. He doesn't really like watching Laugh Hour, but he likes watching her watch Laugh Hour. She laughs from somewhere deep within her belly, shaking her whole body. And she smiles and her eyes light up with every joke. When she gets really into it, she pulls her legs up to her chest and rests her head on her knees, as if she's so absorbed in the show she can't be bothered to keep her head up herself.

She's wearing pink pajama shorts and a black tank top, so a lot of golden skin is exposed. Her long auburn hair is very wavy, as if she spends a lot of time in the ocean and allows it to dry naturally. Currently, it's up in a messy bun, leaving her rarely seen delicate neck exposed. She's really pretty. He realizes he is nursing quite a crush on her. He can't be sure how she feels about him. Sometimes, he thinks they might be flirting, but that could just be her personality. He's only know her four days, although it feels like it has been a lot longer. He tries not to overthink it. At the end of August he'll be heading back to Karakura anyway.

Eventually, she yawns and rests her head on his shoulder. She nods off to sleep moments later. They probably shouldn't make a habit of falling asleep cuddled up on the couch together, but he doesn't want to wake her. And the rain actually sounds peaceful tonight, so he is lulled into sleep, his head on top of hers and the TV playing softly in the background.

…

..

.

Night 5:

He is starting to go stir crazy. Being trapped inside with her isn't helping matters. He wishes she would wear more clothes. It's always tank tops and denim shorts that expose her great legs, or colorful sundresses with just enough cleavage that he has to fight to keep his eyes on her face instead of her chest. Despite the constant rain, it is warm and humid so she's dressed appropriately, but he assumes she would be easier to resist in sweatpants. And a baggy sweatshirt. He glances at her, her face adorably scrunched and focused as she tries to get a spot out of the dish she's washing. Who is he kidding? She could be wearing a burlap sack and he'd still be attracted to her.

She finishes washing the dish and hands it to him to dry. He insists on helping her with the housework, even though his dad is paying her to do it. He doesn't want to treat her like a maid.

Ichigo is tired of watching TV, he can only watch so many hours of Laugh Hour, so he suggests they get some fresh air and sit on the back porch.

She leans back in the old wooden rocking chair, resting her bare feet on the wood railing of the porch. Her toes are now painted yellow and purple, courtesy of Nel and Yachiru.

"Careful." He warns as she leans back precariously. He's honestly never met someone so clumsy. She's constantly falling and bumping into things. She smiles at him, as if to tell him not to worry, and leans back further.

He shakes his head. She loves getting a rise out of him.

She stares out at the crashing waves, only a few hundred feet from where the duo are seated. "I want to go in the water." She announces.

"It's raining Inoue." He counters.

"But we'd be wet anyway Kurosaki-kun. The water is warm. The sun has been shining on it all day."

"What sun? It's been cloudy and raining for days."

"Doesn't matter. The sun still warms the ocean." She stands, reaching out her hand to help him out of his rocking chair. "Come on, I'll show you."

He grasps her hand, allowing her to pull him up. "Shouldn't we change into bathing suits?" She's wearing a black top that ties around her neck and pink denim shorts. He is wearing dark blue men's capris and a graphic t-shirt.

"Of course not Kurosaki-kun, we're being spontaneous!" She pulls him towards the edge of the porch. For such a small girl, she's surprisingly strong. She's still holding his hand. "Ready?" She asks, bracing to run through the rain toward the beach.

"Ready as I'm gonna be." He replies.

"Let's go!" She sprints, only releasing his hand when they reach the water. The rain is cold, but she's right, the ocean is warm.

She throws herself into a crashing wave, while he is content to just wade out far enough so the bottom of his capris get wet. She surfaces, flipping her wet hair out of her face. She frowns when she sees that he is practically still on the sand. She swims back to him, dripping water when she stands.

She gently pushes him forward, and he isn't expecting it so he falls. He spits out salt water when he surfaces. She giggles at how much he resembles a drowned rat. He glares, but she just laughs harder.

He gets back to his feet. "You think it's funny?" Her laughter stops abruptly when he throws her over his shoulder. She clutches at his wet t shirt.

"W..Wait, Kurosaki-kun!" He ignores her, heading into deeper water and then tossing her into an oncoming wave.

…

..

.

Day 6:

They are babysitting again. There are some of the regulars, Yachiru, Nel, Yuu, and some kids that are new to Ichigo but not to Orihime. Twin boys, three and a half, definitely a handful.

A nice part about having younger kids is the addition of nap time to the schedule. From what Ichigo has seen, Orihime is a really good babysitter. She could just plop the kids in front of the TV, but she doesn't. She makes a full schedule, full of crafts and games and educational activities. She cooks! Usually normal food since most of the kids are picky eaters. And on days when the kids are younger, there are naps. Naps are nice.

Ichigo lies on the couch, which has become his de-facto bed, with little Yuu on his chest. The baby has finally fallen asleep, his tiny fist squeezing Ichigo's white tank top. The twins are also down, lying on floor mats with pillows under their heads. Getting them to nap was no easy feat. Orihime had to tire them out first with an epic game of inside-the-house tag since the rain still wasn't letting up. After she got them to nap, she went to the kitchen to start lunch. It's so calm and quiet, he can feel himself falling into a light sleep.

Except Yachiru and Nel don't nap, apparently.

Someone tugs on his bare foot. He reluctantly opens his eyes. Yachiru and Nel are both staring at him.

"Can I help you?" He asks

"Itsygo, we'rth bored." Nel lisps.

"Why don't you guys color? Quietly?" He suggests.

"Can we color your toe nails?" Yachiru asks, her eyes lighting up with glee at the thought.

Ichigo looks at his bare toes. He's never had a pedicure. Because he is a man. It seems really embarrassing. And emasculating. But the baby's sleeping. And so are the twins. And he's so tired.

"Have at it." He acquiesces.

They both squeal happily, hugging each other over their surprisingly easy victory. He frantically shushes them, gesturing to the baby on his chest.

"Sorry, sorry. We can be quiet Orange Head." Yachiru promises.

They paint each of his toe nails a different color, from lime green to hot pink. Ichigo ends up with a lot more of the nail polish on his skin than his actual toenail.

But it keeps them quiet all through nap time, which he considers a victory.

…

..

.

Night 6:

Orihime soaks the cotton ball with nail polish remover.

He wrinkles his nose at the smell. "Is that stuff good for you? It smells like cancer."

She raises the cotton ball to her nose and takes a big whiff. "Hey! Don't do that!" He warns, reaching out to grab her arm.

She shrugs. "I don't know Kurosaki-kun. I've never really thought about it. I have been using nail polish remover for years though and so far I'm cancer free!"

He rolls his eyes. He didn't literally think it would give him cancer.

She carefully removes the polish from his toe nails and skin. "You're going to make a really great Dad Kurosaki-kun."

He's glad she's looking at his toes and not his face, because for some reason her praise makes him blush.

…

..

.

A/N: End of Part 1! This was originally going to be a one-shot, but I keep adding things so now it is a two-shot. I'll try to update again soon! Please review!


	5. The Hot Babysitter: Part 2

A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed, alerted, and favorited! This is the second part of a two shot, so make sure you read chapter 4 first! This is a lot longer than I anticipated, but I didn't want to split it up again, so just be warned. Hopefully you like the longer chapter! Without further ado, here is Part 2

**Title: **The Hot Babysitter: Part II

…

..

.

Day 7:

He wakes up to his ringing cellphone. He groggily searches for the loudly ringing device, sitting up and rubbing his left eye with one palm. He clears his throat before hitting answer and raising the device to his ear.

"Hello?" His voice is thick with sleep.

"Son! It's Daddy!"

Ichigo groans. He has really been enjoying his fatherless mornings. No one has attacked him at dawn since his Dad left for the conference. Waking up to a sea of wavy auburn hair and a warm curvy body cuddled up to his own was much more pleasant than his usual morning greeting from his insane father.

This is the first time he has woken up in his own bed in days. Last night, he had been working on a summer assignment for school. By the time he was finished, it was late and Orihime was already asleep on the couch. Although they had spent the last several nights snuggled up on the couch together, it had never really been deliberate. They were usually just watching TV, or talking, and then they just kind of dozed off. With her already asleep, he felt weird about deliberately snuggling up with her.

So he sleeps in his own bed. But he has a lot of troubling falling asleep, staring at the ceiling for hours as slumber alludes him. He eventually realizes he misses her presence. Which is dangerous. Since they're not together. And they live in different cities. And they are already half way through their two weeks together. He really needs to get a grip on himself.

He doesn't function well on limited sleep. So his dad better have a good reason for calling and waking him up.

"What do you want?" Ichigo asks

He imagines his dad is probably frowning. "How rude! Oh Masaki, how did our son grow up to be so terrible? I try so hard….."

He rolls his eyes as his father continues to lament about his ungrateful son to his deceased wife.

"If you're calling to check on me, I'm fine." He eventually interrupts when Isshin's tirade shows no sign of ending.

"Good, good. I knew everything would be fine. How's the weather been?" Isshin asks conversationally

"Bad. It's been raining pretty much non-stop. They're predicting some sunshine tomorrow though."

"And you haven't been driving right? Orihime-chan is under orders to stop you at all costs if you try to drive through this rain." Isshin warns.

"No, I'm not driving. I remember all those hydroplaning videos you made me watch before you let me get my license. And the trips to the morgue to see the car accident victims."

"Well, I had to get you good and scared! I can't lose my only boy to a preventable car accident. Who would carry on the Kurosaki name?" Isshin responds

Ichigo ignores that. "How's the conference?"

"Great! Not to brag, but I'm kind of a big deal around here. I bet my panel is going to be packed! Standing room only! Like at a rock concert."

"Sure." Ichigo replies, doubt evident in his voice.

"It's true! I know you don't think so, but your old man is preeeeety cool. In fact, this is supposed to be under wraps, but I heard from a reliable source that I am going to win the superlative for coolest clinic doctor."

"Fascinating." Ichigo replies sarcastically.

Isshin makes a disapproving sound. "So disrespectful. I wish you could be as sweet as Orihime-chan. I hope she rubs off on you."

Ichigo hops out of bed, heading to his dresser to find clothes for the day. "Do you have Inoue's number?" He asks.

"Yes. Why?" Isshin asks.

"You should call her. Tell her it's okay to sleep in your bed. Or Yuzu's or Karin's. She's been sleeping on the couch since she got here."

"Ok. Luckily I washed my sheets before I left! So there shouldn't be any….you know." Isshin implies.

Ichigo knows nothing good can come out of asking, but he takes the bait anyways. "What?"

"Sex residue." Isshin whispers conspiratorially.

"Ughh! Why would you say that to me?! Your son! And from when? Years ago when Mom was alive?! Wait. Don't answer that. I don't want to know anymore."

"I'll let Orihime-chan know she is free to share my bed." Ichigo ignores the rise his father is obviously trying to get out of him by phrasing it that way

"But you have to make it sound like she'd be doing you a favor by sleeping in the bed. She has this weird self-sacrificing thing going on, so if you make it sound like it's for her benefit, she won't do it." Ichigo throws on a red graphic tee, and struggles with his jeans while balancing the phone between his head and his right shoulder.

Isshin chuckles. Ichigo's eyes narrow. "What's funny?" He demands.

"You seem to care an awful lot about her. I knew I picked a good one for you."

Ichigo is blushing, so he's glad this is a phone conversation instead of face to face. "Shut up."

Ichigo hears commotion in the background. "Yuzu wants to talk to you. I'm handing her the phone. Don't do anything inappropriate with Orihime-chan! She's your babysitter, after all."

Before Ichigo can retort, the phone is handed to Yuzu.

"Onii-chan! The conference is so cool!"

Ichigo listens good-naturedly as Yuzu babbles on.

…

..

.

Night 7:

GAME OVER flashes on the screen as Ichigo's character is shot from behind. He flings his head set off in irritation as Yukio laughs, victorious once again. What a cheap shot. He hates X-box live. And that brat Yukio. If he spent as much time playing video games as that kid does, he would be good too. After all, Yukio got to practice all day while he and Orihime were busy babysitting the other kids. How is that fair?

He turns off the TV and heads upstairs to get ready for bed. After a shower, he heads down the hallway to his room, a towel wrapped securely around his waist. He passes the open door to his father's master bedroom and can't stop himself from pausing in the doorway and peering in.

She's asleep. Hair all over the pillow and tucked in up to her neck so only her head is visible. Satisfied that she's okay, he has this weird need to constantly know she hasn't hurt herself in some way or another, he closes the door and heads to his own room.

He changes into pajama pants and a clean t-shirt, gets comfortable in his bed, and after adjusting to the lack of pretty auburn haired babysitter cuddled up to him, falls into a light sleep.

Hours later, he is suddenly awoken by a loud clap of thunder followed by a blinding flash of lightning. He practically flies out of bed, and he has already flung open his bedroom door before she can knock.

Her hand is still raised in the air, and now with nothing to knock on she sheepishly lowers it to her side. She's wearing a green t-shirt that is big enough to function as a short nightgown on her, he assumes it must have been her brother's.

"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you Kurosaki-kun. Especially so late at night. But I guess you were already awake since I hadn't knocked yet, but even if I didn't wake you I'm still bothering you. It's just…I'm really afraid of thunderstorms. When I'm in my apartment by myself, I literally can't sleep through them. I turn on all the lights in the whole apartment and then I sit in the living room and watch TV to distract myself-"

He cuts off her rambling by gripping her hand. "Inoue, it's fine. You're not bothering me." He leads her back to his father's room and joins her in the king size bed. They start off keeping their distance from one another. Her on one side, him on the other, both facing the ceiling. There's something a lot more intimate about sharing a bed than sharing a couch. They're both aware of this, and it makes the atmosphere between the two heavy.

Eventually, exhaustion outweighs any uncomfortableness and they both fall asleep. Through the night, they are drawn closer and closer to each other. By the time Ichigo wakes up early the next morning, her head is resting on his chest, her hands are clenched in his t shirt, and his right arm is curled around her protectively.

He considers extracting himself from her, returning to his side of the bed, but then she starts mumbling adorable nonsense in her sleep and he is content to stay exactly where he is.

…

..

.

Day 8:

It's a three day weekend, and Ichigo is relieved they are getting a break from babysitting duties. He has grown to like all the kids, but he also likes when they aren't around.

It has temporarily stopped raining. According to the weatherman, the storm would return by 8:00 PM, but for now the sun is shining and they are both itching to get out of the house. Although he wishes she wasn't going to be leaving the house wearing _that._

Her hair is in a loose braid, which is a good look for her. But then again, he can't think of anything he would call a bad look for her. She's wearing a white off the shoulder crop top, and she's paired it with a long red and blue patterned bohemian skirt. She's wearing the skirt fairly high, so she's not really exposing that much skin, but he can see her belly bottom. It's pierced, which he hadn't known. He's having a very hard time keeping his eyes away from that dangling pink belly ring.

He feels underdressed by comparison. He's wearing beige cargo shorts and a t-shirt from a concert he went to with Rukia and Renji last summer. While she makes breakfast, he heads upstairs and changes into a casual short sleeve plaid button down, leaving the first couple of buttons undone since it's a very warm day.

While making breakfast, she notices they are running out of perishable foods. Since it's not raining and Ichigo can finally drive, it is the perfect day to head to the grocery store. Afterwards, they plan to take advantage of the good weather with a trip to the beach.

..

He opens the car door for her. Something he always does for his sisters, and she rewards his gallantry with a brilliant smile. "Thank you Kurosaki-kun!" He shrugs, it's not that big of a deal. She doesn't even need to thank him.

Once she's settled, he closes her door and heads to the driver side of his red convertible. He got it used for a good price. His dad doesn't like it, and he constantly talks about how convertibles are not as safe as mini vans or jeeps. But Ichigo paid for it with his own money so his dad's opinion means nothing. Besides, all the Kurosakis had arrived in Tanegashima in the convertible. No one had died.

He starts the engine, lowers the roof so they can enjoy the sunshine, and starts backing out of the driveway. "Kurosaki-kun! You're not wearing your seatbelt!" He never wears his seatbelt, except for when his dad makes him. She leans over and buckles his for him, her's already buckled and straining as she leans.

She directs him to the supermarket, pointing out her apartment complex when they pass it on the way.

They make it to the supermarket with no problems, and he parks towards the back away from other cars. He's very protective of his car, and he worries about other people dinging it with their car doors.

He grabs a shopping cart and they head inside. He leans over the shopping cart as she goes over her grocery list. She is so absorbed with the list she doesn't seem to notice all the attention she is attracting.

There are a lot of teenage boys in this grocery store, he notices immediately. Some are employees, some are just here shopping. It seems everyone was waiting for the weather to calm down before heading off to the store. They are ogling her. And not just the teenage boys. There are some grown men here with children and wives who are ogling her. His fists clench. Perverts. He understands why they're doing it, she's beautiful, but he doesn't like it. He wants to put an arm around her, show some kind of possession so they'll think she's taken. But she's not. They're not together, and he really shouldn't be getting all bent out of shape over some guys looking at her.

"Ohayo, Orihime-chaaan!"

Looking is one thing, talking is another.

"Ohayo, Hirako-kun! How are you? How are you holding up with the storm?"

Hirako leaves the cereal he's supposed to be stocking and hugs Orihime tightly, his hands resting much too low for Ichigo's comfort.

"Oh, Orihime-chan! It has been terrible! I've been so bored! The store has been closed on account of the bad weather. I've been sitting at home with nothing to do! Well, I guess at least Hiyori is around to talk to. How have you been? All alone in that apartment. I can come stay with you! Just say the word and I'll be there. Anything, for my first love."

Orihime waves her hands frantically when she is finally released from the hug. "No..no.. I'm fine Hirako-kun. I've been staying with Kurosaki-kun! Oh! How rude of me. Kurosaki-kun, this is Hirako-kun. We go to school together."

Hirako seemed to be sizing him up. He eventually sticks out his hand with a friendly grin. "Any friend of Orihime-chan's is a friend of mine! How did you two meet?"

Ichigo shakes Hirako's hand, squeezing roughly. Hirako squeezes right back. "Well, that's actually a funny story," Orihime begins, "You see, Kurosaki-san-" Ichigo interrupts.

"My family owns a beach house here so I'm here for the summer. Inoue and I are working together on her babysitting thing."

Hirako nods, "So you're her assistant? That's good. Those are a lot of kids to handle alone."

He turns back to Orihime. "What are you doing later today Orihime-chan? It's such a beautiful day! We could go to the park, or boating, I know how to hotwire a boat you know." He attempts to flirt.

Ichigo can't fight it anymore. He possessively wraps an arm around Orihime's waist, his hand resting on the exposed skin at her hip between her crop top and the skirt. "Actually, Orihime and I are going to the beach later. As a date. So you probably don't want to be a third wheel,"

Instead of looking mad, Hirako grins. "You sly dog! You're just here for the summer and you've gotten Inoue Orihime, the hottest girl at Tanegashima High School, to live in your house and go out with you?! Man, I've been working on her for years and nothing!" He bows at Ichigo's feet, and both he and Orihime take a surprised step back. "Please Kurosaki-sama, teach me, Hirako Shinji, your ways!"

Ichigo turns away, embarrassed. "Maybe later."

Hirako shoots up again. "Let's exchange numbers!"

Ichigo is too shocked to refuse.

After Hirako leaves, Orihime giggles. "He is quite a character. Thanks for running him off. I'm not very good at saying no."

"No problem. I'm pretty good at getting rid of male suitors. Ask my sisters."

She laughs again, looking back at the list. "Ok! First, we need orange juice."

She pushes the cart in search of nourishment, and neither of the two seem to notice his arm is still around her waist as they shop.

..

They pay for the food, with money Isshin has helpfully supplied, and head back to the house to drop off their groceries before continuing with their plans for the day. Orihime really likes the convertible, her hair flies in the wind so it's fortunate that it's currently braided so it's not blinding both of them. He drives a little more recklessly than he normally would, just to hear her delighted squeals.

They put the groceries away, put on bathing suits under their clothes, and head off for the beach. Ichigo assumed they were going to the beach near the house, which he can see is extremely crowded from the porch, but Orihime informs him that it is a tourist beach. The locals have better spots. She makes him pinky swear not to share its secret location with any other tourists.

He puts his surfboard in the backseat, along with towels and snacks, and they're off. She leads him down a lot of roads he's pretty sure cars aren't supposed to be on, but she insists it's fine.

Eventually, they pull up to a practically deserted stretch of beach. She's right, this is much better. The sand is softer, the views are better, and the waves even look bigger. Best of all, this beach is much less crowded. He only sees around 30 people versus the hundreds out on the tourist beach.

They pick a spot, and lay out their towels. She shimmies out of her skirt, tossing it and her discarded top into her beach bag. She's wearing a bikini. Black bottoms and an aqua blue top. His eyes automatically can all the new exposed golden skin. She's trying to kill him. She twists her braid into a bun, and he realizes he should probably stop staring at her, especially since he has started to imagine what she'd look like naked.

He removes his plaid shirt, already in his red board shorts. He tosses his shirt in her bag as well, not wanting to get sand on it. He glances at her, and she is looking at his abs. She quickly looks away with a blush when she is caught sneaking a peek. He smirks. He exercises a lot to keep his abs, so it's nice to know they are appreciated.

She lies on her towel on her stomach, digging a magazine out of her bag. "I'm so excited to tan! I was beginning to look like a ghost!" He glances at her golden skin, not understanding how she could think she was at all pale. He wants to warn her against tanning, since it could cause skin cancer. But he feels like that would make him sound like his dad, which he tries to avoid at all costs. He also thinks he only wants to say it so she'll ask him to slather sunblock on her, which would be dangerous.

He double takes when she unties her bikini top, allowing it to fall to the sand. She says something about avoiding tan lines. She's lying face down on the towel, so he can't really see anything, but just knowing that's she's topless beside him is making him want to do something stupid.

He gets up quickly, telling her he's heading off to surf.

…

An hour later, she joins him in the water. He's sitting on his surfboard, legs dangling in the water, and she swims out to him, although he is out pretty deep. She surfaces and grabs the front of his surfboard, resting her head on her crossed arms. She smiles at him.

"What do you think of this beach?" She asks.

"The waves are awesome. I can't believe I didn't know this was here. We've been coming here every year for the last ten years, you know."

She smiles. "It is a closely guarded local secret. You're lucky I like you."

Eventually, she returns to shallower water, and he continues to surf. He watches her collect sea shells between waves. Suddenly, she is approached by a large dark fellow, Ichigo frowns jealously, paddling in to shore.

He reaches the two, shaking salt water out of his ear. He steps up beside her. "Hey." He greets, looking at the giant before them.

"Kurosaki-kun! Meet Sado-kun. He's another classmate of mine."

Sado seems nice enough. He invites the duo to join him and another classmate, Chizuru, for a game of beach volleyball. Ichigo assumes he'll be partnered with Orihime, but Chizuru insists on girls vs. boys. She then proceeds to spend the entire game ogling Orihime. Even without Chizuru's help, Orihime is good. Sado and Ichigo manage to win, but it's a close game.

Ichigo is about to suggest playing best out of three when a light drizzle starts to come down. Knowing that it won't stay a drizzle for long, Ichigo and Orihime hurriedly say their goodbyes and gather their things, heading back to the house.

…

..

.

Night 8:

Around 9:00 PM, the storm has returned at full force and the power goes out. Ichigo checks the breaker box, but nothing is tripped. A quick glance out at the neighborhood from the porch confirms that the entire neighborhood is without power.

He gets candles and flashlights out of the storage closet, and sets them up in the kitchen, bathrooms, living room, and his and Isshin's bedrooms.

Orihime is lying on the carpeted floor in the living room when he returns from setting up candles upstairs, head on a throw pillow, hands resting on her belly, and feet on the edge of the couch. He thinks she is even more beautiful by candle light. He joins her, mirroring her odd position. It's surprisingly comfortable.

She turns her head to look at him.

"Do you want to play a game?"

"Sure."

"It's the 'what if' game. Have you played before?"

He shakes his head no.

She smiles. "Don't worry. It's easy. We both just take turns coming up with what if scenarios and then the other person has to answer. I'll go first." She removes her hands from her belly, one falling to her side and the other raising to tap her chin thoughtfully. Her belly button ring is exposed again, and he can't help but stare at it as she thinks.

She snaps her fingers, eyes lighting up as she comes up with the perfect scenario. "Okay Kurosaki-kun. What if the zombie apocalypse started right now? What would you do?"

He has actually given this scenario some serious thought. He is a big fan of zombie movies. "That's easy. I would get on a boat. Bring a fishing pole, water, seeds and dirt so I could set up a garden and the boat could become self-sustaining. Eventually, I would find an island. Preferably a smaller one. I would have to kill all the zombies there, but once they're gone no more could ever get there. Crisis averted."

She wrinkles her nose. "You don't like it? Well, what you do?" He asks

"I would try to get to Tokyo. That's the place the cure for zombie-ism would most likely by located. So I would have to get weapons, and fight the zombies as I traveled. I would try to gather other people, because there's safety in numbers. And we would all work together to save the world."

"I can't picture you killing a zombie. You're too nice. You'd be much better off on my boat." He replies.

She removes her feet from the couch, turning on her side fully to face him. "Kurosaki-kun would share his boat and limited water and food with me?"

"Well, yeah. After all, I wouldn't want to be alone on the island forever." He turns his head to look at her. "Besides, I would need a girl. Because eventually, we'd have to repopulate the earth." He playfully wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

She laughs, but she's also blushing. "Well, we'd need more than just us. Otherwise, we'd have incest grandchildren."

"You're right. I guess we'd have to bring another girl and another guy."

She looked like she was calculating something. "But still Kurosaki-kun, by the time you get to the second generation everybody would be at least cousins."

"Cousin incest isn't as bad as sibling incest. This isn't an ideal situation Inoue. It's the zombie apocalypse."

"I think we'd need one more couple."

"That's two more mouths to feed on the boat! It isn't a yacht, it's a midsize boat."

"But two more people exponentially increases the offspring diversity!" She insists.

"Fine. So 3 guys and 3 girls. Obviously, we couldn't be monogamous. You know, to increase the genetic diversity for the future of mankind."

She nods, mock seriously. "Of course. But although I'd have to procreate with other men, I want you to know, you'd be my main squeeze Kurosaki-kun." She squeezes his arm playfully.

He chuckles. "And despite the fact I'd be impregnating other women in this post-apocalyptic world, I want you to know you'd always be my number one."

"But how would we know who fathered which children? There'd be no DNA testing. I guess we'd know which ones were our's, since they'd have orange hair. But what about everyone else?"

"Well, the women would have to be with one man exclusively until they get pregnant. Then we'd always know." He reasoned.

"I think my best friend Tatsuki-chan would do well in this zombie world. She should be on the boat."

"And my friend Rukia could fill the third slot. But wait, ughh, that would mean we'd have to procreate. Gross. But I guess I could do it for the future of the human race."

"What about the guys? Sado-kun should come. And maybe Hirako-kun for the third?"

"No" He says vehemently. He blushes. Maybe he said that a little too vehemently. But the thought of Hirako and Orihime together makes him see red. Wow. He has got it bad. Getting jealous over a fictional post zombie apocalypse scenario where the grocery store clerk would have the chance to be with Orihime. "I mean, I think my friend Renji would be a good third. He could be paired with Rukia."

"Which leaves Sado-kun and Tatsuki-chan. I think that would work! Solid plan Kurosaki-kun."

He smirks. "I try. Okay, my turn. What if we lived in the same city?"

Her smile fades briefly, before returning full force. "If Kurosaki-kun and I lived in the same city…, wait, do we live here in Tanagashima or in Karakura?"

"Either." He answers.

"Ok. Well, we would be very good friends. And we would have known each other forever. And we would go to school together and be in the same class. And I would greet Kurosaki-kun cheerfully every morning and you would try to play it cool in front of your friends but you would want to return the greeting just as cheerfully. And we would have the same extended group of friends and we would hang out all the time. But sometimes, we would hang out, just the two of us." She smiles, and he can't help but grin a little as well.

"I think if we lived in the same city, we would be more than just friends Inoue." There, he said it.

She blushes. "That's…definitely possible too." She changes the subject. "What if I told you that I'm afraid of the dark so we should probably sleep in the same room again tonight?" She asks apologetically.

"What if I told you we should just sleep in the same room regardless, no excuses needed, because I like being near you?" He responds. He finally removes his feet from the couch, twisting his body so they are face to face. He slowly leans in, going in for the kiss.

"Kurosaki-kun, we shouldn't." She whispers.

He stops. Sits up and runs a hand through his hair. Yeah, he understands why they shouldn't. He's leaving soon, and long distance is hard, and they really haven't known each other very long. He glances at her as she heads upstairs, mumbling something about getting ready for bed. They really shouldn't, but he still wants to.

…

..

.

Night 9:

There is an awkward tension between them. Ever since he tried to kiss her and she rejected him. Last night, they slept in the same bed, on account of the thunderstorm, but they stayed far away from each other. All day long, she's been trying to avoid him, which is difficult when you're both stuck in the same house on account of the torrential downpour.

He doesn't regret trying to kiss her though. When the opportunity presents itself, he'll try again. He's never felt this way before. Honestly, he's never really noticed girls. Sure, there are the girls in his school who have silly schoolgirl crushes on him, but their attention embarrasses him more than anything. Maybe it is because he is 16 now. With raging teenage hormones. Alone with a pretty girl. It's messing with him. Making it impossible to ignore what he wants, which is her.

Or maybe it is just because she's so amazing. Spending all this time with her allows him to see beyond her outer beauty. She's kind, and nurturing, and smart, and funny. He really likes her. His feelings are stronger than some sort of summer fling. He just needs to convince her of that. She's scared. Maybe she's been hurt before. But he would never hurt her.

Since they're not really talking, Ichigo puts on a movie. He picks a horror movie, so he can put his arm around her when she gets scared. He feels terrible when she's so freaked out by the movie that she has nightmares. But the nightmares do draw her from Isshin's room to his own, and she lets him wrap his arms around her, and they both sleep better as a result.

…

..

.

Day 10

It's a Sunday afternoon. Jinta and Ururu's father owns a store, so he's working, leaving Orihime with a babysitting job. They've been inside all morning, but in the early afternoon there is a break in the weather and the sun comes out. They immediately head outside for a game of baseball.

"Jinta home run!" Jinta cries gleefully as the baseball soars through the air, landing somewhere on the roof. It doesn't roll down. "Oops." Jinta adds.

"I can get it!" Orihime exclaims, dropping her catcher's mitt and heading towards the porch.

Ichigo shoves his hands in the pockets of his black athletic pants, abandoning his position as pitcher and following after her. Ururu remains in the outfield, looking disinterested with it all.

Orihime kicks off her flip flops and climbs onto the porch railing, vainly trying to reach the roof while precariously balancing on the thin wood. Ichigo halfheartedly tries to avoid looking at her ass as her oversized pink t-shirt rides up, exposing the tight black leggings she is wearing underneath.

"Oi! Get down! You're going to fall." Ichigo warns, offering her a hand to grab so she can safely jump down. She does so, pouting up at the unreachable roof.

"I'll go ask a neighbor for a ladder." Ichigo says, beginning to head off.

Orihime grabs his arm, stopping him. "No time Kurosaki-kun!" She produces her cell phone, which has ominously been set for a 50 minute countdown. It currently reads 45:12. "We only have 45 minutes and 12, 11, 10 seconds until the rain restarts!"

"You do know the meteorologist can only make predictions, right? He doesn't actually know exactly when the rain is going to restart." He explains. She ignores him.

"I just need you to give me a boost." She replies.

"I don't want you to fall off the roof and break your neck." He counters.

Jinta runs up to the two. "Ughh! Just let her do it! We're running out of valuable sunshine time. If you're so worried about your girlfriend getting hurt than boost me up there." Jinta suggests.

"You're not tall enough, you're like elf height." Ichigo informs a seething Jinta.

"Just wait until I hit my growth spurt Ichigo! I'll spring up to like 7 feet and then I'll come to Karakura just to laugh down at you." Jinta retaliates.

"I'll be careful Kurosaki-kun! Besides, I think I saw it. It's not that far up the roof." She promises.

He sighs. "Fine." He cups his hands, gesturing for her to go.

"Make sure you lift with your back Kurosaki-kun, I'm really heavy."

He scoffs. "You're not heavy Inoue."

"How would you know?"

"Because I have eyes? I can look at you and see you're not heavy."

"Ughh! Would you two stop flirting and get the baseball already?" Jinta complains.

She places her nail polish-less foot, Yachiru and Nel haven't been around for a while, in his hand and he boosts her up to the roof. She grabs the edge, and he stretches out his arms to give her a push as she scales up over the edge.

She throws the baseball back to Ururu, and Jinta immediately runs after it.

She carefully shuffles to the edge of the roof. "Excuse me Kurosaki-kun, could you move? I'm going to jump down."

"Like hell you are! You'll break your ankles. Sit on the edge of the roof."

She does as she is told, and he reaches out his hands for her foot. He can barely reach it, so a boost down is not happening.

"I can totally jump from here Kurosaki-kun."

"Don't." He insists, his tone stern. "Grab on to the edge and just hang there, then I can get you."

She follows his instructions, and he wraps his arms around her legs, near her knees. Once he has her, she lets go off the roof, and he slowly allows her to slide down his body. After several long moments, she finally has her feet on the ground. His grip on her is so tight her feet barely hit the porch. He doesn't let go, and she's staring at his lips.

Eventually, she clears her throat and raises her gaze to his eyes. "Thanks for the boost Kurosaki-kun."

He still hasn't let go of her. "No problem." He replies. He might be imagining it, but is she leaning up towards his lips?

"Are you two done undressing each other with your eyes? The game isn't over!" Jinta screams.

…

..

.

Day 11

"Itsygo, we hasth to askth you something." Nel lisps in a whisper, casting several looks at Orihime, who is busy leading a game of duck duck goose with the other kids, to make sure she can't hear them.

Ichigo plays along, leaning closer to the two girls and whispering himself. "What?"

"Do you like big boobies? As in, _like_ like?" Yachiru questions.

Ichigo frowns. "Don't call her that. Her name is Orihime."

"Don't change the subject orange head!" Yachiru whisper-yells.

"Fine. I do. Happy?" He admits. It actually feels good to have told someone about it.

Nel smiles widely. "Supther happy!"

"Because she likes likes you too!" Yachiru adds.

Ichigo glances at the pretty auburn haired girl, who currently resembles an angel in her white sun dress. "What makes you say that?" He asks. He was beginning to think that anything he thought he saw between them was just a figment of his imagination.

"She was talking on the phone with Tatsuki-chan, and she thought she was alone but me and Nel were under the porch looking for bugs!"

"You shouldn't eavesdrop." He says halfheartedly, very interested in what they managed to hear.

"Don'th interrupth!" Nel warns, hazel eyes narrowed.

Yachiru continues. "She said she really likes you, and that she wishes she didn't, because once your family comes back she has to leave and be all alone again. Then her friend said something, and big boobies said once you go back to Karakura, you'll forget all about her."

Ichigo blinked, completely in shock. Forget about her? That's the dumbest thing he has ever heard. How could someone so beautiful, inside and out, think they were forgettable?

…

..

.

Night 12

She's trying to avoid him again. He doesn't like it. He's not sure how to confront her though, short of confessing that he basically second hand eavesdropped on her private conversation with her best friend.

It's barely even drizzling, but he climbs into Isshin's bed with her when they retire for the night, mumbling something about thunderstorms being unpredictable.

Right before dozing off, he decides he has to say something.

"Inoue."

"Hmm?" She mumbles sleepily, head resting on his outstretched arm despite her promise to herself to start limiting the cuddling.

The arm she's using as a pillow is in the perfect position to allow his fingers to play with her hair, so he does. "I don't usually get close to people. I'm generally pretty standoffish. Have been, ever since my mom died."

She snuggles closer, moving her head from his arm to his chest, loosely wrapping her arm around his stomach, urging him to continue.

He continues. "I know we've only known each other for less than two weeks, but we're close. I know you feel it too."

"I do feel close to you." She whispers. "Too close, because I know you're going to leave. In the end, everyone leaves."

He turns on his side to face her. "Karakura is only three hours away. For me, this is more than some summer fling. If we want to…if _you _want to…we could be something real."

…

..

.

Day 13

Finally, the storms have passed. The forecast calls for continuous sunshine for the rest of the week. Despite the nice weather outside, after breakfast the two are content to lay on the carpeted floor, playing the what if game.

It starts off mundane, what if you could be anything you want? What if aliens invaded the earth tomorrow?

It's her turn. They're both lying on their backs watching the ceiling fan twirl above their heads. "What if I kissed you?" She asks firmly, confidently, but when he turns his head to look at her, half thinking he has imagined the question since he wants it so badly, she is blushing fiercely.

He raises himself up on one elbow. "I could tell you." He moves closer. "Or, you could just do it and find out. After all, I thought you were all about spontaneity."

She turns to face him, raising herself up on her elbow as well. He watches as she closes her eyes, slowly leans in. His eyes close, and he leans in as well.

Their lips meet. Her lips taste like raspberry because of her glittery lip gloss. His taste like chocolate, since he had a generous portion of the chocolate chip pancakes she made for breakfast.

It starts off chaste. She's shy, somewhat inexperienced. He's fairly inexperienced too, but he's willing to take the lead. Besides, kissing her feels natural. Like something he is meant to do.

He gently bites her bottom lip, and her mouth opens slightly. He takes the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth, playfully gliding around her own.

They kiss leisurely for a few minutes, but his elbow is starting to hurt, so he lies down on the plush carpet, pulling her down with him. She braces her weight on her arms and knees, probably not wanting to lie on top of him since she thinks she's heavy, which is ridiculous. He wants to be closer.

She is surprised when he sits up, and thanks to her previous position she ends up straddling his lap, her legs on either side of his waist. He lifts his knees slightly, causing her to slide down his thighs until they are chest to chest. Her breath catches. He slowly runs his hands up her bare legs, she's wearing his favorite yellow sundress, watching as her face fills with color. She can feel goosebumps forming from his sensual touch.

It makes her nervous when he looks at her like that, so she closes her eyes and leans in for another kiss. He eagerly responds, eventually leaving her lips and trailing kisses down her neck. Her hands have been resting on his shoulders, but now one moves to his hair and the other grips his button down shirt, pulling him closer. He grins into her neck. Guess she's not so shy after all. He squeezes her thigh, and she jumps slightly.

He chuckles, and she pouts. "Don't laugh at me Kurosaki-kun."

He kisses the swell of her breast, just barely visible above the neck line of her sundress. "Orihime, my name is Ichigo." He corrects.

"Ichigo-kun." She repeats, tugging on his hair to bring him back to her lips.

He's vaguely aware that she has started to unbutton his shirt. She gets the last button and gently grazes his exposed abs with her fingertips. He shivers involuntarily.

His body is reacting to her soft caresses, and since she's seated right on top of him, there is no way she's not going to notice. She breaks the kiss with a little gasp when she feels the evidence of his arousal. He looks away, embarrassed. He's not proud of the things he wants to do with her. She's so pure and innocent, but being this close to her his mind is going to very impure places.

He probably scared her off. He should have controlled himself better. This is moving too fast. She couldn't possibly want him the same way he wants her-

She rolls her hips experimentally and he tightens his grip on her thighs. He looks at her, in shock, but she's lowered her gaze, looking coy as she worries her bottom lip. He lets go of her right thigh and grips her neck, crushing their lips back together. He playfully nibbles on her full bottom lip, watching her bite it made him want to do it for her.

His left hand boldly moves further up her thigh, playfully flicking at the waistband of her panties when he finds them.

He's not sure how far they would have gone had they not been interrupted.

Isshin drops his keys into the bowl on the end table, clearing his throat loudly.

Orihime jumps off of him so fast he worries she might have given herself whiplash.

Yuzu is covering her eyes, redder than he's ever seen her. Karin looks shocked as well, looking at anything but him. His eyes reluctantly move to his father, who is grinning widely.

Ichigo subtly tries to move a throw pillow to cover his crotch. Judging by the choking noise Karin just made, it was not very subtle.

He clears his throat, hastily wiping glittery lip gloss of his face. "You're home early." His tone is accusatory.

Orihime suddenly starts sobbing. "Oh Kurosaki-san, I'm so sorry! You trusted me to look after your son and my behavior is so inappropriate! I tried to resist, I really did, but Ichigo-kun is just so sweet and handsome and charming and-"

Isshin silences her with a raised hand. "It's okay Orihime-chan. Of course, I will have to mention this incident in my letter of reference-"

Orihime sobs louder, putting her face in her hands.

"Orihime-chan, I was just kidding! Your new daddy-in-law likes to joke! Tell her girls! Aren't I always cracking hilarious jokes?!"

…

..

.

2 weeks later

Karin leans over from the backseat to loudly honk the convertible's horn. "Come on!" She yells impatiently, ready to get back to normal life in Karakura.

"Keep your pants on!" Ichigo yells back, making no move to release the girl in his arms and head toward the car.

"You should go. It's a long drive." Orihime mumbles, her hands tightening on his t-shirt contradicts her words.

He kisses the top of her head. "It's only three hours. Not far at all. I can come back here every weekend."

She looks up at him. "Every weekend? When would you hang out with your friends?"

With her head upturned, he can now plant a soft kiss on her lips. Strawberry flavored chapstick today.

"I'd rather hang out with you." He confesses after breaking the kiss.

She smiles. "Maybe you can visit every other weekend. And then when I get my license, we can switch off on driving."

"Or we could meet half way. Several times a week." He suggests.

The horn honks again. "Karin, leave them alone! I think they're cute!" Yuzu says loudly.

"They're so dramatic. It's 3 hours. It's not like we're moving to the moon. Let's go!" Karin complains.

"Would you hold on one second!" Ichigo yells back.

Orihime leans up and kisses him once more. "Go. I don't want Karin-chan to hate me."

He reluctantly releases her from his arms, but before she can take a step back he has gripped her dainty hand.

"Don't forget about me." He teases.

"How could I? When you left this giant bruise on my neck?" She complains playfully.

He frowns. "Don't call it a bruise. It's a love bite."

"It's huge! I'm going to have to buy concealer to cover it up."

His frown deepens. "Why are you trying to cover it up? I left it there for a reason. So everyone knows you're mine."

"It's not professional Ichigo-kun! What would all my babysitting clients think?"

She has a point. "Fine. But don't cover it up when you go to the grocery store. I want Hirako to see it."

She rolls her eyes. "So possessive."

"Damn straight." He softly kisses the dark mark he left that morning, soothing it. He then went in for her lips.

Karin honks loudly three times in sucession. "Let's leave him. You can drive Dad."

"Fine with me." Ichigo mumbles into a kiss.

Orihime breaks the kiss. "But really Ichigo-kun. You have to go. The longer we delay it the harder it's going to be."

"One more for the road." He says before going in for another kiss.

Karin honks again. "They literally think they're Romeo and Juliet or something. If you don't start driving Dad then I will."

…

..

.

A/N: The End! One more lifetime to go! Please review!


	6. The Principal's Office

A/N: Last one shot! Hope you guys like it and thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Title: **The Principal's Office

_Karakura, Japan_

…

_.._

_._

Ichigo turns off the running water and returns his razor to its proper place in his bathroom drawer. He can be very particular, everything has its proper place in his condominium. He turns off the bathroom light and opens the adjoining door to his bedroom. She's in her proper place, asleep in his comfy king sized bed.

He joins his auburn haired girlfriend on the bed, lying on top of the covers instead of underneath them. He places a series of soft kisses on her irresistible lips, gently coaxing her out of her slumber.

Her eyes are still closed, but her hands move from the bed to his chest. She frowns slightly when she feels the ironed fabric of his dress shirt underneath her fingertips and her eyes open slowly.

"Why are you wearing clothes?" Orihime asks, her voice groggy.

He kisses her again, and this time she responds. He pulls away, resting his forehead against hers. "As much as I love lying naked in bed with you, I had to get up and get ready. Meeting starts at 6:30."

She sits up slightly to see the clock, the covers falling and exposing her abundant breasts. His eyes automatically drop to the exposed skin before she pulls the covers back up to protect her modesty. She lies back down. "It's only 4:30."

"I wanted to set everything up. And maybe bring bagels. Or donuts. And coffee." He replies.

"I vote bagels _and_ donuts. Everyone is going to need the pick-me-up. There's nothing harder than the first day back to school after winter break."

…

..

.

Both Ichigo and Orihime work at Karakura High School. Orihime as a first year math teacher, and Ichigo as the principal, now in his second year at that position. At 27, he is the youngest principal in Karakura High history. After only three years of teaching Literature, he was promoted. As a teacher, he was strict, but fair. He was always available to his students, coming early to school and leaving late to accommodate their schedules. He went above and beyond, and the superintendent, Kyōraku Shunsui, noticed.

So when the former principal, Ukitake-san, retired, Ichigo was offered the job and he happily accepted. He's good at being principal. He leads by example. His expectations are lofty, but clear, and the teachers and students have risen to the challenge. The students respect him, the teachers respect him, and he respects his job.

Well, in general he respects his job. For the first year, his conduct was impeccable! He put the job before everything else. Test scores went up, graduation rates rose, and fighting and truancy decreased. His ex-girlfriend accused him of being married to the job before she broke up with him. Maybe she was right. At the time, he was completely focused on his job and being the best principal he could be. But then Orihime entered the picture…

He shouldn't be dating a teacher. He's her boss, it's inappropriate, it could be messy if they break up, their coworkers could think she is getting special treatment because of their relationship, and so on and so forth. Despite all the reasons why he shouldn't fall for her, it happens anyway.

_In September, she transfers from the middle school after teaching 8__th__ grade algebra for three years. She's the first to arrive at the back to school staff meeting, not counting Ichigo who got there at 5:00 AM to go over his notes for his presentation. She introduces herself with a warm grin, going on about how excited she is that Shunsui-san asked her to transfer. While she's talking, he's thinking about how absolutely beautiful she is, but Ichigo immediately tries to put all such thoughts out of his mind. He's not going to date a coworker, a subordinate. It's just asking for trouble. He has no time to date anyway. Not if he wants this year to be even better than last year._

_But she's so friendly, and they get along so well, and she's such a great teacher! As the school year progresses, he can feel himself falling for her. He steadfastly resists. He's not going to jeopardize his job. Despite this resolution, his heart stubbornly refuses to cooperate with his brain's plan. _

_It all comes to a head at the homecoming dance in October. He's been avoiding her lately, ever since he realized how much he wants her, but tonight they're both chaperoning and there's nowhere for him to run. _

_The students mostly steer clear of him, they respect him but he also has a reputation as a hard ass. They don't want him to ruin their good time. _

_They don't steer clear of Inoue-sensei at all. The students approach and chat animatedly, she compliments the girls' dresses, some of the older male students ask her to dance but she politely declines. _

_He's watching the students, making sure no one is spiking the punch or causing trouble, but he's also watching her. She smiles when a song comes on that she likes, sways slightly to the beat. She circles the room, chatting with other faculty members. Everyone loves Inoue-sensei. She's become a great addition to Karakura High School. _

_He should probably tell her that, let her know what a great job he thinks she's doing. He hasn't, because he has a hard time talking to her. He turns into a stammering idiot, trying not to be dismissive but at the same time trying not to get too close. He frowns. This is stupid. They're both adults. They're coworkers. There's no need for him to be acting like some sort of shy love sick school boy. She's busy laughing at something the gym teacher, Sado Yasutora just said. He doesn't want to interrupt. Maybe he'll talk to her later. _

_The dance ends. All the students and faculty chaperones leave. He's about to head out himself when he gets a call from the janitor, who's sick and not going to make it in to clean up the mess left behind from the dance._

_Ichigo sighs as he pockets his cell phone. This is one of those times when being principal really sucks. Everything becomes his problem. He grabs the cleaning supplies out of the janitor's closet and gets to work. He's startled when he hears the rustling of a trash bag behind him._

"_I'm sorry Kurosaki-san, I didn't mean to scare you!" Orihime apologizes._

"_Inoue. What are you still doing here?" Ichigo asks. _

_Orihime smiles. She's always smiling. "I left something in my classroom. And then I was on my way out when I saw you in here cleaning up all alone. This is a big job for one person. So I'm here to help!"_

_He wants to turn her down, tell her to go home, but cleaning all this alone would take him forever. "Thanks Inoue. I appreciate the help."_

_Orihime turns the speakers back on, providing them with some background music as they clean. They are almost done when a slow song comes on and she gasps. _

"_This song takes me back! They played it at my prom. Wow, that was almost 7 years ago. It's funny how time flies, right Kurosaki-san?" The 25 year old muses. She extends her hand. "May I have this dance?"_

_His brain tells him he should say no, but he just nods dumbly and allows her to lead him out onto the dance floor. She wraps her arms around his neck and his hands drop to her waist as they sway. _

_She's humming the melody, and she's so beautiful, shoeless (she kicked off her heels when they started to clean) in her simple blue dress. The lighting is low and they're all alone. Before he knows what he's doing, he's placing a soft kiss on her neck. She freezes. He does too when he realizes what he just did. _

_He should apologize. Ask her to forget that this ever happened. Beg her not to file a sexual harassment report. But when she raises her head to look at him questioningly, he kisses her again, this time on the lips. _

_His heart trips over itself when she tentatively starts kissing him back. _

…

..

.

"Can you make sure to get some powdered donuts? They're my favorite." She says.

Her request brings him back to the present.

"Anything for you." He says sincerely.

She smiles, yawns, and debates whether or not she can get another half hour of sleep.

"Do you want to carpool?" She asks

He frowns. "You know we can't."

He is trying to keep this relationship a secret. He's probably taking it too far. Not carpooling to work, asking her to park her car down the street when she stays over at his place, not taking her out on dates around Karakura out of fear of running into students or coworkers. Heck, he wasn't even going to tell his family they were dating. His sisters are seniors at the high school, and he couldn't risk them telling anybody. They found out anyway. He completely forgot he had given them a key to his place. When they walked in on him and Orihime making breakfast two weeks ago, he thought about trying to pass it off as a work meeting being conducted in his home. But it was during winter break. Plus Ichigo was only wearing boxers, and Orihime was only wearing his white button down shirt, so the jig was up.

His sisters didn't talk to him for a few days. They felt lied to. Eventually, they came around. He even brought Orihime over to his Dad's place for a family dinner. Karin mentioned she was impressed he had bagged a babe like Inoue-sensei, who was clearly out of his league.

So Yuzu and Karin know, and his Dad, and Orihime's best friend and roommate Tatsuki knows, since Orihime tells her everything, but beyond that small circle their relationship is a secret.

Orihime doesn't like the secrecy. He doesn't like it either. He isn't trying to treat her like she is his mistress or his dirty little secret, but he does. Three months of this is wearing on both of them, but there is an end in sight.

Rumor has it that Kyōraku Shunsui is going to run for mayor in the fall, which means the superintendent job is opening up. Rumor also has it that Shunsui is going to pick Ichigo as his successor.

This promotion could solve everything. Not only would he make more money and have more responsibility, Ichigo would no longer be Orihime's direct boss. He would be her boss' boss, which provides enough professional distance for the duo to date openly with few professional repercussions.

But in the meanwhile, he is her boss. And they probably shouldn't be dating. Neither one of them is willing to quit, they both care too much about their students, so keeping the relationship secret for now is the best option.

"Why can't we just tell people Ichigo-kun? I don't think our coworkers would try to get either of us fired-" He interrupts her before she can finish.

"It would definitely reflect poorly on us, especially me. Shunsui could decide not to give me the promotion. This doesn't exactly show great decision making on my part." He argues.

She frowns. "You think this, us, is a bad decision?"

He sighs irritably. "That's not what I meant. Orihime, we only need to get through one more semester of this. When I get the promotion-" This time, she interrupts him.

"But what if you don't get the promotion?"

"I will." He insists.

She sighs at his stubbornness. "Fine. One more semester. I really wish I could tell Asano-san though. He won't stop hitting on me."

Asano Keigo teaches drama, which is appropriate since Ichigo grew up with him and Keigo is the most dramatic person Ichigo has ever met. "Knowing that you have a boyfriend wouldn't stop him from hitting on you." Ichigo informs her before checking his watch. 4:40. "I've gotta go. See you soon." He gives her a quick kiss goodbye. "Love you."

She snuggles back into the pillow when he stands from the bed. "Love you too." She returns as he heads out for the day.

…

..

.

"So I'm not telling you guys to teach to the test, but do keep in mind what modules the district expects the students to know. Okay. Any questions?" Ichigo concludes his bi-annual start of the semester presentation. A hand raises. "Yes, Matsumoto."

"Why can't I hand out condoms when I teach my Sex Ed section in health? They are teenagers with raging hormones! Wouldn't it be better-?"

"Matsumoto, we can talk about this privately, but the answer is still going to be no." Ichigo replies.

Rangiku huffs, crossing her arms under her bountiful breasts.

"No more questions? Ok, have a great semester everyone! Grab more bagels and donuts on your way out. I don't want to bring any home." Ichigo watches all the faculty stream out of the conference room, preparing for the wave of students who will soon arrive. Orihime doesn't look back at him as she leaves, discussing something animatedly with Ishida, who teaches 11th grade physics. The couple largely ignore one another within the high school, treating each other as distant acquaintances. All part of the ruse.

Ichigo returns to his office once the conference room has cleared, grabbing the necessary paperwork for his classroom reviews.

…

..

.

Ichigo leaves Ishida's 2nd period physics class. Ishida is a good teacher, but Ichigo feels he could be more interactive with the students. Ishida tends to be aloof, talks at the students instead of to them. Ichigo hopes Ishida will take the constructive criticism well when they go over the review together. Ichigo has a feeling he won't. Ishida and Ichigo have a contentious relationship, a rivalry of sorts. Ishida was also considered for the principal position. He seemed shocked when Ichigo got the promotion. Ichigo smirks as he remembers the look on Ishida's face.

The tardy bell for third period rings as Ichigo walks through the hall. "Get to class!" Ichigo shouts at students lingering in the hall. He frowns when he sees Karin talking to Hitsugaya Toshiro at the boy's locker. Ichigo's not sure exactly what's going on with his sister and Hitsugaya, but he knows he doesn't like it.

Ichigo approaches the two. "Hitsugaya-san, Kurosaki-san, any particular reason why you're not in class?"

Karin rolls her eyes. "I hate when you do that. The Kurosaki-san thing. You're my brother, not my boss."

Ichigo frowns irritably. "Actually _Kurosaki-san_ when we're here at Karakura High School I'm your principal, not your brother. So I'll treat you like I'd treat any other student. Which means you'll be in trouble, just like everyone else would be, if they were ditching class."

"We're not ditching. In fact, we were just on our way. Right Karin?" Hitsugaya asks, taking her books from her. Ichigo frowns at the romantic gesture. Karin does too, taking her books back.

"I've got them, I'm not some damsel in distress. Fine, let's go. Before Ichi-nii continues his power trip and gives us both detention."

Ichigo grinds his teeth as the two walk off. One more semester until she graduates. Just one more semester. Why couldn't he have run into Yuzu? She's always so much more pleasant, always so proud of her big brother, the best principal ever.

Ichigo's bad mood ebbs immediately upon entering Orihime's classroom. She's at the board, writing an equation with her back turned toward him. She's wearing a black pencil skirt and a billowy beige top. Her hair is up in a messy bun, and as usual she looks absolutely beautiful.

Ichigo sits on top of a table in the back of the room and asks himself how he got so lucky.

Orihime turns around when her equation is finished and smiles at her class. "Welcome back guys! I missed you all over winter break. Did anyone do anything exciting?"

See? This is the interaction Ishida is missing. The way the students excitedly recount their winter adventures with Inoue-sensei, the delight she exhibits as she listens. She only allows the chit chat to go on for a few minutes before starting on the math.

Orihime is an amazing math teacher. She knows so many tricks. She makes everything so easy and relatable. She's really passionate about math, and the students see that. Ichigo has to fight back a grin as Orihime excitedly high fives the student who got the answer right the quickest.

She's excitedly writing a new, harder problem on the board when she drops the dry erase pen. "Oopsie." She mumbles, bending over to pick up the pen. She should have crouched, because this class is full of immature, hormonal teenage boys. Ichigo has to admit, even he was admiring the view, but the loud wolf whistle that rings out and is promptly followed by the class' laughter crosses the line.

Orihime immediately returns to an upright position, fighting down an embarrassed blush as she tries to calm down the class.

"Hanakari Jinta." Ichigo says in his authoritative tone, his 'I-mean-business' voice. The laughter immediately stops, and everyone looks between their principal and their red haired classmate who had unwisely let out the wolf whistle. "My office. Now."

…

..

.

Jinta shifts nervously in the chair across from Ichigo. This isn't his first time in the principal's office, he actually gets in trouble pretty frequently, but that doesn't make him any less nervous.

Ichigo eyes Jinta for a while, enjoys watching the class clown squirm. Eventually, Ichigo speaks.

"So we both know why you're here."

Jinta nods. "Yeah, because I whistled at Inoue-sensei."

"And that was inappropriate because?" Ichigo asks rhetorically, expecting an apology and a promise to respect Orihime in the future, but instead Jinta answers.

"Because she's your girl so you don't like anyone else admiring her ass….ets." He adds hurriedly when Ichigo's eyes narrow at the profanity.

Ichigo tries to hide his panic at being called out by Jinta of all people, who seems completely oblivious in general. If the senior slacker knows, who else does? "No. It's inappropriate because Inoue is your teacher, and you need to respect her. Furthermore, Inoue is not my girl."

Jinta scoffs. "I don't know why you're denying it Kurosaki-san. Everyone knows. It's not like you should be embarrassed or anything. Inoue-sensei is hot! In fact, no offense, but I'm kind of surprised she's dating you. I mean, Ururu says you're handsome, I wouldn't know because I'm not gay or anything, but you're a principal at a public school. You can't be making that much money. Inoue-sensei is the kind of girl who could marry an old rich guy and be a trophy wife. That's what I would do, if I was a hot girl." Jinta rambles.

Ichigo doesn't even know what part of that he should address first. He takes a moment to compose himself before speaking. "What do you mean everyone knows? Not that it's any of your business, but I just told you we're not dating."

"How stupid do you think I am?" Jinta asks, feeling offended.

Ichigo's irritation rises. "Well, this is your fourth year in freshman algebra."

Jinta's eyes narrow. "Hey!"

"You asked." Ichigo retorts.

"Whatever. At least I'm not so stupid that I would deny that I'm dating a hot girl when I totally am."

"Where did you hear this ridiculous rumor anyway?" Ichigo asks, hoping he sounds convincing in his denial.

Judging by Jinta's eye roll, he doesn't. "From no one in particular. It's just a known thing. Although Ryushi Hiro is telling people he caught you and Inoue-sensei having sex in her classroom during lunch a few weeks ago."

That was a lie. Although they did have sex in his office once. They hadn't been thinking clearly at the time. In his defense, it was Halloween and she was dressed as a sailor scout. Plus, it was hours after school had let out, everyone was gone, and he had locked the door.

"This conversation is completely inappropriate so I'm ending it. You're going to apologize to Inoue-sensei for disrespecting her with that wolf whistle. You won't do it again. And to make sure you learn your lesson, you have detention after school today. And every day for the rest of the week."

"Come on!" Jinta complains.

"You can go." Ichigo says dismissively, pretending to be busy reading some paperwork on his desk.

Jinta grabs his back pack and storms out of the office. As soon as he's gone, Ichigo worriedly places his head in his hands.

If there are rumors going around with the students that they're dating, the staff must have some idea too. Had any of this gotten back to his boss, Kyōraku Shunsui? Ichigo massages his temples to ward off the stress headache he can feel coming on.

Maybe he should call Shunsui, try to gauge if he has heard anything. Or maybe he should just leave it alone, let it blow over. But it could be better to get out ahead of this thing. If he tells Shunsui, then at least he'll hear it from Ichigo himself instead of from someone else.

Mind made up, Ichigo dials the superintendent's number before he can talk himself out of it.

"If it's not my favorite principal, Kurosaki Ichigo! What can I do for you?" Shunsui greets jovially.

Ichigo takes a deep breathe, and recounts everything. Trying to resist Orihime, the Homecoming Dance, how long they've been secretly dating, that he's not giving Orihime special treatment, if anything he's harder on her than he is on the other teachers, the rumors about the open superintendent job, how much he wants this rumored promotion, and why he thinks he still deserves it.

When he's done, there is silence on the other line. Ichigo starts to become concerned that the call dropped a while ago and he has spent the last half an hour talking to himself. But then Shunsui laughs.

"Thanks for telling me Kurosaki-san, but I already knew." Shunsui informs him.

"What? How?" Ichigo asks.

"The way you look at her when you don't think anyone is looking. I know from personal experience what a man deeply in love looks like. But don't feel too bad. She's not much better. I watch her too. She's the only one that laughs at your sad attempts at jokes at those staff meetings. You're not funny, you know. She just loves you."

"So, everyone probably knows?" Ichigo asks.

"I can't imagine they don't. I spend a lot less time at the school than your everyday coworkers do and I figured it out." Shunsui replies.

"And no one tried to use it against me to get me fired?" Ichigo asks in disbelief.

"People like you Kurosaki-san! And Inoue-san too. If you guys were jerks maybe someone might have tried to use it against you, but these people are your friends! I'm sure they just want you to be happy. Wow. Is that why you were trying to hide it? Paranoid much?"

"Huh." All that running around and hiding for nothing then.

"I bet you feel pretty silly." Shunsui says.

"Yeah, I guess I was being pretty stupid. I just didn't want to do anything that could jeopardize the promotion. And while I have you on the phone, about that rumor… "

"You have nothing to worry about Kurosaki-san. I was waiting to tell you in person, but the rumors are true! After ten years of service to the Karakura school district, I am moving on after this semester. And I would like you to replace me, if you're up for it."

Ichigo smiles. "Definitely up for it. Thank you sir."

"Of course, you'll need to suggest a replacement for yourself. And it probably shouldn't be Inoue Orihime, since that could be seen as favoritism." Shunsui jokes.

"No, not Orihime. I was thinking Ishida Uryuu. A lot of the students are already afraid of him. That's half the job right there."

…

..

.

At 5:00 PM, Ichigo has finally completed all his work for the day. He gets to the parking lot and sees Orihime's old yellow buggy still there. He sits on a bench, waiting.

He's not waiting long, at 5:12 Orihime walks out of the building with Ishida. He's carrying a bunch of lab equipment, and he keeps refusing Orihime's offers to assist him. She sees Ichigo sitting on the bench. "Have a goodnight Kurosaki-san! See you tomorrow!" She says with a wave.

As she passes, he grips her hand. "Orihime."

Orihime looks at him with wide eyes, obviously wondering why he's calling her Orihime and holding her hand with a witness around. "Are you okay Kurosaki-san? You're acting quite strangely."

"You can drop the act. That idiot has obviously finally figured out that everyone already knew." Ishida says.

Orihime turns her wide eyes in Ishida's direction.

"Maybe you shouldn't call me an idiot Ishida. Since I kind of did you the solid of recommending you for the principal position next year."

Ishida smirks. "I hope you don't think that makes us friends. That just means you aren't as stupid as I once thought." Before Ichigo can retort, Ishida has already left, continuing on his way to his car.

"Everyone knows about us?" Orihime asks.

Ichigo returns his gaze to her, gently pulling her down into his lap. "Yep."

She turns her head slightly to look back at him from her new position in his lap. "But I thought we were doing such a good job acting!"

He kisses her neck. "Nope."

"But Kyōraku-san is still going to give you the promotion?"

"Yeah. I mean, I think the final decision is up to the board but his recommendation carries serious weight." He answers.

"Huh. So no more sneaking around? I can park in your driveway now?"

He grimaces at the reminder at what a jerk he had been, and so unnecessarily too. "I'm sorry about that. I really took it way too far. I'll never hide you again. In fact, let's go out to dinner tonight."

Her face lights on. "On a real date?"

He smiles. "Yeah. A real date. I have reservations at 8:00 somewhere really nice. So you should go home and put on something pretty. I'll pick you up around 7:30?"

She nods enthusiastically, getting up in order to head to her car.

He stands too, pulls her back into his arms before she can walk away. He kisses her passionately. "I love you." He says when he pulls away.

She opens her eyes and smiles up at him. "I love you too."

He's about to go in for another kiss when he hears someone loudly clear their throat. The two look up into an open third story window, where Jinta looks at them smugly.

"I knew it! You're such a liar Kurosaki-san. But congratulations! Inoue-sensei is a stone cold fox. You did good!"

"God damn it. It's one thing for students to know about us, it's a completely different thing to have visual evidence. I promised Shunsui we wouldn't go around making out in the halls." Ichigo mutters as he releases Orihime.

"Well, technically we're in the parking lot, so we're not really breaking the Karakura High no PDA rule."

"Why is he still here? Detention was over an hour and a half ago." Ichigo says.

"You should probably go kick him out. Who knows what kind of damage Jinta-san could do unsupervised in the high school?" Orihime warns.

She's right. Ichigo heads back into the school to make sure Jinta doesn't have access to the building after hours. Ichigo gives Jinta another week of detention for unauthorized trespassing. Just another perk of the power that comes along with being principal.

…

..

.

A/N: The End! Please Review!


End file.
